Poles apart: hosts Australia bomb out of United Cup
Darren Walton |
Skipper Lleyton Hewitt is offering no regrets after Australia crashed out of the United Cup despite a typically heroic display from never-say-die Alex de Minaur.
De Minaur lit up Ken Rosewall Arena to send Australia’s quarter-final against Poland into a deciding mixed doubles rubber, only for John-Patrick Smith and Storm Hunter to misfire with the tie on the line.
Australia’s baseline warrior repelled everything Hubert Hurkacz could fire at him before pulling out a pulsating 6-4 4-6 6-3 victory over the power-serving former Wimbledon semi-finalist.
The tournament hosts were staring down the barrel of elimination after six-time major winner Iga Swiatek dealt soon-to-be first-time grand-slam seed Maya Joint a harsh reality check with a 6-1 6-1 mauling in Friday night’s women’s singles encounter.
But de Minaur once again delivered for his country, the world No.6 electrifying his home-town Sydney fans with signature tenacity, speed and courage under fire.
De Minaur had no right winning, fending off 10 of Hurkacz’s 11 break-point chances in an epic encounter stretching two hours and 20 sapping minutes.
“I love playing here. I love playing in front of you guys. The atmosphere from the very first point to the last was amazing and thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
While admitting to harbouring some “dark thoughts” in the third set, the dogged de Minaur produced just two unforced errors to prevail.
“That’s what it took,” he said.
“I just had to fight him off from the first point to the last, a huge mental effort.”
Alas, the Australian spearhead’s effort – after he also conjured a singles and doubles win in Tuesday night’s 2-1 comeback triumph over Czechia – proved meaningless.
Polish captain Mateusz Terczynski pulled off a selection masterstroke, resting Swiatek and Hurkacz and drafting in Katarzyna Kawa and multiple grand slam doubles champion Jan Zielinski for the deciding rubber instead..
Kawa and Zielinski duly dominated Hunter and Smith, winning 6-4 6-0 to seal the tie and set up a Saturday night semi-final showdown against top-seeded titleholders, the USA.
De Minaur appeared to gesture to Hewitt that he wanted to play the doubles, but the captain was having none of it nine days out from the Australian Open.
“Alex was feeling a few tweaks the last few days and he’s been doing a lot of training in the off-season to get ready for five-set matches,” Hewitt said.
“We decided that the best thing for him, for his body moving forward, was was not to put his hand up to play mixed tonight.
“It is tough, though as well to make a decision so quickly, and also if you are that second match to turn around straight away and switch on.
“And you just don’t want to risk injury as well and especially the amount of moving that he had to do tonight against a bloody quality player.”
Swiatek had earlier overcame a mysterious meltdown to crush Joint in just 58 minutes to give Poland a 1-0 lead.
But the former world No.1’s victory was anything but straightforward.
The 24-year-old burst into tears at the opening changeover, despite breaking the Australian teenager in the third game for a 2-1 lead, only to return to the court and play on.
Swiatek gave her courtside teammates a thumbs-up after gaining a double break for a 4-1 lead, and barely lost a point in winning six games on the spin to seize the first set, then the second in equally convincing fashion.
Despite Joint’s defeat, the world No.32 remains guaranteed to be seeded for the first time in Melbourne.
AAP
