Sydney [Australia], January 6 : Hubert Hurkacz's stunning show in Sydney put Poland on the doorstep of the United Cup final on Saturday.
The 26-year-old, who is ranked No. 9 in the world, beat tricky lefty Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 7-5 in Sydney to give his team a 1-0 lead against France. The WTA World No. 1 Iga Swiatek will now have the opportunity to win the tie against Caroline Garcia.
"I think definitely today was a real battle. Adrian was playing really, really tricky shots and it's really difficult to play against. So I was just battling for every single point and I think mentally I was able to stay in the present, stay positive before each point and I think I was also really resilient today," Hurkacz was quoted as saying by ATP.
Poland was surprised by the United States in the semi-finals a year ago. Following a dominating start in Perth, it is closing in on its first mixed-teams triumph. The best men's player from Poland showed no signs of being harmed by his team's trip to Sydney.
"Definitely it's something different that suddenly you play your next match completely in a different city, different timezone. I really like playing in Sydney, especially it was quite early because 10:30 a.m., with a three-hour time difference, it's not usual you play a big match at 7:30 a.m. in Perth time. I was able to get a good night of sleep and play well today," Hurkacz said.
Hurkacz entered Ken Rosewall Arena with a 2-2 tie in his ATP Head2Head series against Mannarino. The two-time ATP Finals contender (2021 and 2023) performed well in crucial times and easily defended his serve to win after one hour and 41 minutes.
At 4-5 in the second set, the Pole used clutch play to get out of a tough serving game, including a point in which Mannarino blasted two smashes that rebounded off the net and in. Hurkacz completed the point by hitting a winner around the netpost, eliciting applause from the Sydney audience.
In the next game, the seven-time ATP Tour champion used his momentum to his advantage, blasting a forehand winner down the line for the crucial break. He then held on to love and celebrated by raising his arms.
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