Polish tennis players beat Great Britain and are the third semifinalists of the United Cup

Sydney – Polish tennis players became the third semifinalists of the United Cup of mixed teams. The reigning finalists defeated Great Britain today in Sydney, securing the triumph after the singles. Hubert Hurkacz first defeated Billy Harris 7:6, 7:5, world number two Iga Šwiateková then defeated Katie Boulterová 6:7, 6:1, 6:4. They will face Kazakhstan on Saturday for a place in the final.

The Poles, who after Wednesday’s triumph over the Czech Republic (2:1) advanced to the elimination phase from the first place in Group B, continue to cherish the chance for the premier title in the team competition. Last year they lost the decisive match against Germany.

Hurkacz, the 16th ranked player in the world, corrected his previous failures against Norway’s Casper Ruud and Tomáš Macháč. He beat Harris in one hour and 46 minutes. In the first set he succeeded in a tie-break (7:3), in the second set he decided thanks to the only break in the match in the 11th game. He was also helped by 18 aces.

The five-time Grand Slam champion Šwiatek then had an almost three-hour battle with Boulter, the 24th player in the world. In the first set, she did not take advantage of a 4:1 lead and lost 4:7 in a shortened game. In the second set, she took a 4-0 lead and forced a continuation.

At the beginning of the third set, the 23-year-old Pole lost her serve and requested a break for treatment outside the court at 1:2. After returning, she won eight balls in a row with her taped right thigh and erased the lack of a break. At 4:4, Šwiateková averted a break point with a tight ball on the line and decided in the subsequent 10th game. She took a 40-0 lead on Boulter’s service and took advantage of the first match point.

The Czech Republic and Italy will compete for the last semi-final place on Friday. The winner will face the undefeated USA team.

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