In a stunning upset, 15th-seeded Australia secured its first appearance in the United Cup semifinals, as Alex de Minaur outplayed world No. 1 Novak Djokovic with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in singles play. The match, held in Perth, marked Djokovic’s first defeat in Australia since the 2018 Australian Open quarterfinals, where Hyeon Chung emerged victorious.
Despite dealing with a right wrist injury, Djokovic expressed optimism about his fitness for the upcoming Australian Open. The Serbian player’s teammate, Natalija Stevanovic, faced a similar fate, falling 6-1, 6-1 to Ajla Tomljanovic. Australia secured a clean sweep, winning the mixed-doubles match as well.
Ranked 12th in the world, de Minaur demonstrated exceptional skill, winning 33 of the 34 points on his first serve, ultimately defeating Djokovic in just 94 minutes.
In another United Cup clash, No. 1 seed Poland advanced to the semifinals with a comprehensive sweep of No. 9 China in Perth. Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Swiatek led Poland to victory in singles play, overcoming Zhizhen Zhang and Qinwen Zheng, respectively. Poland secured its second consecutive United Cup semifinal berth.
Meanwhile, Greece secured a spot in the quarterfinals with a 3-0 win against Canada in Sydney. Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Steven Diez 6-2, 6-3, and Maria Sakkari triumphed over Leylah Fernandez 7-6 (2), 6-3. The second-seeded Greek team also dominated in mixed doubles, resulting in the elimination of the seventh-seeded Canadians. The United Cup continues to deliver thrilling and unexpected outcomes, setting the stage for further excitement in the tournament.
