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Fritz blasts past Hurkacz to put USA into United Cup final / Photo: © AFP
Fritz blasts past Hurkacz to put USA into United Cup final
A composed Taylor Fritz downed Poland's Hubert Hurkacz in a battle of top 10 players Saturday to power the United States into the final of the inaugural United Cup, where they will meet Italy or Greece.
The world number nine was too good for his big-serving opponent, ranked one place behind him, winning 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5) at Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney.
Fritz came into the match with the United States already 2-0 ahead in the tie after Jessica Pegula stunned world number one Iga Swiatek 6-2, 6-2 on Friday and Frances Tiafoe swept past Kacper Zuk 6-3, 6-3.
They now have an insurmountable 3-0 lead with Madison Keys still to play Magda Linette.
"It was great to get the win today and get us through, but I had no doubt that if I were to lose the rest of the team would have come through," said Fritz.
"I think the difference in the tiebreakers was I just served well and I put some returns in the court, played some really solid points and didn't give him anything.
"I'm super excited going into the finals and I think we have been the favourites all week," he said.
Fritz earned the first break points of the match at 4-4 after stepping up pressure on the booming Hurkacz serve but the lanky Pole saved them both.
Hurkacz turned the tables to earn two set points at 5-4 but he too was denied and it went to a tiebreak, where the American dug deep when the Pole netted a backhand.
They went toe-to-toe in the second set, with Hurkacz slamming his racquet to the ground at one point as his frustrations grew.
It again went to the tiebreak, where two unforced errors from the Pole gave Fritz match point. He made no mistake, with Hurkacz again throwing his racquet.
Italy also take a 2-0 lead over Greece into day two of the semi-finals.
That came after a gutsy Martina Trevisan upset world number six Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 7-5 in an epic of more than three hours. Trevisan's teammate Lorenzo Musetti then crushed Greek teenager Stefanos Sakellaridis 6-1, 6-1.
World number four Stefanos Tsitsipas faces a do-or-die rubber first up Saturday evening against dangerous 16th-ranked Italian Matteo Berrettini to keep the tie alive.
Despina Papamichail will then meet Lucia Bronzetti.
If Greece level the tie, it will come down to a mixed doubles rubber pitting Tsitsipas and Sakkari against Camilla Rosatello and Musetti.
A.Smith--SFF
