In an exhilarating turn of events, Hubert Hurkacz has propelled Poland to the brink of reaching the United Cup finals. The Polish tennis sensation continued his remarkable comeback journey with a hard-fought victory over Taylor Fritz, winning the match 7-6(1), 7-6(2). Now, all eyes will be on World No. 2 Iga Swiatek as she prepares to face off against World No. 4 Coco Gauff in what promises to be an electrifying match at the Ken Rosewall Arena.
"Facing Taylor is undeniably a significant challenge; it’s a tough matchup, particularly on this fast court. He serves with incredible power and has a formidable forehand, so any short balls are just an invitation for him to attack," Hurkacz shared in an interview with ATP No. 1 Club's Jim Courier. "I felt I played quite solidly myself and aimed to adopt a more aggressive stance. During my time off, I revisited some of my previous matches and listened to your commentary, which was genuinely helpful for me as a player!"
After taking a seven-month hiatus due to a knee injury that necessitated surgery, Hurkacz entered this mixed-teams event with uncertainty about what to expect. However, in his first competitive action since June of last year, the former World No. 6 showcased powerful serving skills, helping to push his country close to a championship match against Switzerland.
At 28 years old, Hurkacz has achieved an impressive feat by defeating Alexander Zverev, Tallon Griekspoor, and Fritz in Sydney, claiming each of these victories in straight sets. Notably, he faced two break points against Fritz, which were also set points at 4-5 in the first set, yet he managed to fend them off, putting Poland in the lead after one hour and thirty-five minutes on the court.
"I’m definitely pleasantly surprised, considering it’s been such a long time since I last played. This is my first tournament in seven months, so returning from such an extended break is unprecedented for me. You can never predict what will happen," Hurkacz explained. "On the flip side, I invested a lot of effort off the court, allowing myself the needed time to get back to my previous level—and even better—perhaps having a bit lower expectations coming into this week helped too."
As they prepared to compete under the sweltering sun, Fritz held a 4-2 lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, having previously beaten Hurkacz twice at the United Cup. However, the Pole’s powerful serve proved too much for the American opponent.
Fritz's chance to seize control came when he had two set points while serving against Hurkacz, but the Polish player responded with immense serves, eliminating those threats. Hurkacz’s critical backhand passing shot early in both tie-breaks allowed him to gain momentum and push ahead.
The victor of the second semi-final will face Switzerland, who are led by playing captain Stan Wawrinka and Belinda Bencic, in the final scheduled for Sunday.
