PERTH: The United States booked a place in the semi-finals of the United Cup mixed team tournament with a 2-1 victory over Greece in Perth on Wednesday, as Coco Gauff played a central role in the defending champions’ success.
Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion, put the U.S. ahead by beating Maria Sakkari 6-3 6-2 in one hour and 26 minutes. The 21-year-old bounced back strongly from her Group A loss to Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, racing to a 5-0 lead against Sakkari before closing out the match in straight sets.
Greece responded through Stefanos Tsitsipas, who defeated world number nine Taylor Fritz 6-4 7-5 to level the tie. It marked Tsitsipas’s first top-10 win since 2024, though he had little time to celebrate before returning to court for the decisive mixed doubles.
In a tense contest, Gauff teamed up with Christian Harrison to edge Tsitsipas and Sakkari 4-6 6-4 10-8. The U.S. pair surged to a 5-0 lead in the match tiebreak before the Greeks fought back to 6-6, but a finely placed Harrison volley sealed the victory.
“I thought it was great level throughout, we just played free and aggressive,” Gauff said.
Switzerland will face Argentina later on Wednesday. The 18-nation United Cup, held across Perth and Sydney, serves as a warm-up for the Australian Open, which begins later this month.
