Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz powered the United States into the United Cup semi-final as they eased past China with comprehensive singles victories. (More Tennis News)
Gauff set the tone for the USA on New Year's Day iℱn Perth, op🍌ening the United Cup quarter-final with a gritty comeback against Zhang Shuai.
The 20-year-old e♔rased three early breaks before cruising to ꧟a 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 triumph, improving her record against her Chinese opponent to 3-0 to put the USA in control.
Fritz then produced a clinical serv𓃲ing display to defeat Zhang Zhizhen 6-4 6-4 to move his side into an unassai🍌lable lead, dropping just four points behind his serve.
"Coco did such a good job putting us ahead and giv൲ing me the chance to come out๊ and put us through," said Fritz.
"There was a little bit of pressure b💦ecause I didn't want to be the one🎶 who loses it for the team after Coco won all her matches this week."
In her third appearance in the USA 𝄹United Cup team,൲ Desirae Krawczyk teamed up with debutant Robert Galloway to play her first match in the event.
The American duo overcame Zhang and Sun Fajing 6-3, 6-7 (1-7) 10-3 to 🍨make it a 3-0 sweep in th🌜e quarter-final tie before they head to Sydney.
In the other last-eight tie, Elena Rybakina helped lead Kazakhstan to the semi-final of the Unit𝕴ed Cup while also ඣ;ending Germany's title defence in the process.
The former Wimbledon winner registered anoth🐟er comprehensive victory to give Kazakhstan the advantage, beating Laura Siegemund 6-3 6-༒1 in the opening match.
Germanꦫy then suffered a further blow🔴, with world number two Alexander Zverev withdrawing from the tournament due to a bicep strain moments before his match.
His replacement, Daniel Masur, got off to a flying start and edged the first set, but Alexander Shevchenko rallied from ♛behind to clinch a 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-2 victory to give Kazakhstan an unassailable lead.
Germany did, however, restore some pride in the mixed doubles, with Siegemund and Tim Puetz beating Zhib🌄ek Kulambayeva 🌞and Dmitry Popko 6-2 6-2.
Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz clinched Poland's place at the top of Group B, defeating the Czech Republic's Ka🐷roli♓na Muchova and Tomas Machac to win the tie 2-1.
Swiatek and Hurkacz emerged 7-6 (6-3) 6-3 victors in ✃the deciding doubles encounter, with Poland returning to the quarter-final at the competition.
Machac had moved the Czech Republic to the brink of the last eight at the start of the tie with a tense win a꧂gainst Hurkacz, triumphing 7-5 3-6 6-4 in just under two hours.
Swiatek, however, levelled up the tie with an enthralling&♑nbsp;6-3 6-4 victory﷽ over Muchova, with the Pole made to work for her victory over the world number 22.
Swiat🌳ek became the first female or male player to secure 10 singles match wins at the United Cup, with last year's runners-up sealing their pr🎶ogress in the doubles.
"Honestly, I was sure they were going to play amazin🌱g tennis because they have always great teams in doubles and mixed doubles," Swiatek said.
"They are kind of raised that way. But I knew that we have the game to win it. For sure, we wereꦛ leading from the beginning.
"In theܫ first set it got tight at the end, but I felt that we were leading anyway, so in the tie-break we just used that. In the end, it seemed that we had everything under c✱ontrol."
Polan🎶d'♛s opponents in the quarter-final will be Great Britain, despite losing to Australia in their Group F clash on Wednesday.
Argentina, Great Britain and Australia all finished with a record of 1-1, but Katie Boulter's win over Olivi﷽a Gadecki proved decisive in their progression.
Boul﷽ter knew a straight-set victory from any of the three rubbers against the hosts would take Great Britain through as Group F winners, and she did just that.
In the first match of the tie, Boulter won 6-2 6-1 inside 70 ౠminutes to secure quali🍒fication before Australia won the next two encounters.
Alex de Minaur, Boulter's fiancé, thrashed Billy Harris 6-2 6-1 before joining up with Gadecki in the mixed doubles and beating Charles B﷽room and Olivia Nicholls 6-3 7-6 (7-3).
"I've been trying t🌞o avoid all the stats on all this, but we were at dinner with Laura Robson last night, and she thankfully tolꦓd me I had to win in straight sets," Boulter said.
"So I wa🐟s feeling the pre♛ssure from last night, so I really appreciate that, Laura."
