Spain open 2024 United Cup with Brazil win in deciding mixed doubles anchored by Davidovich Fokina and Sorribes Tormo

The 2024 United Cup has began with Spain taking the opening win in a group which also includes Poland who will next play Brazil in the second match of Group A in Perth. It was a 2-1 win over the course of the three matches for Spain.

It went all the way to the mixed doubles to be decided with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Sara Sorribes Tormo teaming up in a winning effort. It was a straight sets win for the duo albeit in two close sets taking it 6-4, 7-5 in just over an hour and a half.

This after some back and forth when it came to the singles ties with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina giving his side the perfect start thrashing Thiago Seyboth Wild in the men's singles rubber 6-4, 6-0.

This was despite some early frustration with Hawkeye Live robbing him of a point and not working properly. Ironically in the first point of the new 2024 season this occurred and spells another drama for the line calling on the ATP Tour. But the higher ranked Spaniard faced no issues from there

After a 51 minute opening set, he thrashed the Brazilian 6-0 in just over half an hour to put their first notch on the board. But the interesting tie was between Beatriz Haddad Maia and Sara Sorribes Tormo and saw the former who is just outside the top 10 win in just over two hours in straight sets.

The opening set went to a tie-break which Haddad Maia sped through, but ironically the second was nearly as long despite Sorribes Tormo only winning two games sitting at 57 minutes. But this went to script like the opening match meaning that it went all the way to the mixed doubles to decide it won by Spain.

The second match today sees Great Britain face home hopes Australia including Cameron Norrie v Alex de Minaur and Ajla Tomljanovic facing Katie Boulter. That begins around 10am CET but will not see De Minaur and Boulter, a couple off court face off in the mixed doubles with Storm Hunter and Matthew Ebden instead facing Boulter and Skupski.