United Cup: Poland confirm matchup against Switzerland in third consecutive United Cup final as they stun hapless USA

There will be a new name on the United Cup trophy after Poland exerted their revenge on the USA in their semi-final clash, defeating last year's champions 2-1 to set up a matchup against Switzerland for the prestigious title.

It was a repeat of the 2023 semi-final, in which the United States won all five matches in a different format to the current one. Two years on, and they did it in the final, with Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz coming out on top over Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz. Poland were not going to let prior events get in their way as they produced an excellent display to reach a third consecutive final, as they look for their first United Cup title.

The first singles match was played between two big servers Fritz and Hurkacz. It would be the inform Pole who prevailed, compounding more misery on Fritz with a 7-6 (1), 7-6 (2) triumph.

As expected with two big servers, breaks were hard to come by. In fact, the first ones came at 5-5 with Fritz spurning two points for the set. Hurkacz, who has lost just one match in this edition of the United Cup, made sure his opponent was not going to get anymore. He won ten of the final 11 points on offer in the set, closing it out in domineering fashion.

Halfway through the second set, Hurkacz had the chance to sneak ahead but could not take his opportunity. Inevitably, it fell to a second tiebreak in which Hurkacz once again stamped his authroity on. He won six points on the spin to close out the contest and put Poland in pole position for a third consecutive final.

Hurkacz, who had not played since June, was delighted to be back up to speed. “Definitely pleasantly surprised in a way because I haven’t played in such a long time," he stated in his on-court interview. "In seven months, [this is] my first tournament. So coming back from such a long period the first time in my life, you never know what to expect."

While there have been some wobbly moments, the best version of Gauff is starting to present itself on a more regular occasion. She has saved her nation on multiple occasions, carrying them on their back at times. Today was no exception as she took down world number two Swiatek 6-4, 6-2 to keep this tie going.

It was a sketchy start for the two-time Grand Slam champion as Swiatek created four break point opportunities in the first game alone. However, they were wasted as Gauff needed only one to head into a 3-1 lead. The 24-year-old would turn up the heat after going 4-1 down, She won 12 consecutive points to go level with her rival. The American halted her impressive momentum with a fantastic break right at the end of the first set, propelling her in front.

The momentum was firmly in the Gauff camp, who would make it seven games in a row as she raced into a 5-0 advantage. While Swiatek was not at her best, the 21-year-old was making sure she would be punished. The job was not done yet, with Swiatek getting one of the breaks back after Gauff failed to put the game to bed. After three missed match points, Gauff got there in the end on Swiatek's serve, once again showing her credentials for team USA and keeping the tie firmly alive.

“I didn’t the let the opportunities that I had on the first two times I had match points get away from me,” Gauff commented. “She played well. Maybe there was one error on the backhand, but after that, she played the better tennis, but I knew that how I was playing the whole match I would get it done.”

It was all down to the doubles, and it could not have been closer on paper. Poland fielded Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski, while the USA stuck with Gauff and Christian Harrison. Both teams had yet to lose a doubles match, dropping just one set in their previous three matches. One's record had to fall, and it would be the Americans losing out to Poland 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3).

The Polish pair were the first to blink. After avoiding being broken, they went 0-40 up before on the third try taking the advantage. A game later, and it was for nothing with Gauff and Harrison on level terms. A tiebreak was called upon with both outfits standing firm. It was very close throughout but Kawa and Zielinski would prevail to move within one of the final.

Despite this, back came the Americans. A break to love put the score 4-3 in their favour, it looked like a third set was on the cards. But this was not the case. The Poles prevented the Americans from serving it out twice, breaking at 5-4 and 6-5 down to keep in contention in this set. A second tiebreak was utilised, with Kawa and Zielinski proving to be a step ahead of their opponents. They found themselves 3-1, 5-2 and 6-3 ahead, booking their spot in the final with their first match point.

A highly anticipated final contest between Poland and Switzerland will commence on January 11, with the stakes extremely high for both European countries.