AUCKLAND, New Zealand – US Open champion Coco Gauff started her 2024 season and her defense of the Auckland Tennis Classic title on Tuesday with a rusty-at-times 6-4, 6-2 win over American compatriot Claire Liu.
Gauff used her powerful forehand well but took time to find her range, over-hitting at times in the first set.
She raced to an early 4-0 lead then dropped serve, served for the first set at 5-2 and lost serve again to love before composing herself to overcome a tenacious performance by Liu.
Elsewhere, host Australia and Poland advanced to the quarter-finals of the United tennis Cup with wins over defending champion United States and Spain respectively.
Novak Djokovic received treatment for a wrist issue during his United Cup match against Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday but the world number one battled through for a 6-1 6-7(3) 6-1 win that drew Serbia level with Czech Republic in the $10 million mixed team event.
Matthew Ebden and Storm Hunter of Australia combined effectively in the decisive mixed doubles match to beat Jessica Pegula and Rajeev Ram of the United States 6-3, 6-1 in Perth and ensured that Australia finished top of Group C in the 18-country mixed-teams event with the Americans second.
“This means everything,” Hunter said according to AP. “It is a dream come true. Playing in front of the home crowd and playing with Matty, a Perth local, it is a dream come true to win and go into the quarter-finals at home.”
Alex de Minaur had provided Australia with a 1-0 lead by beating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-2 but Pegula responded by defeating Ajla Tomljanovic 7-6 (6), 6-3 to make it 1-1.
No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek led Poland into the quarter-finals, winning both her singles and doubles matches in Perth while France kept its hopes alive with a thrilling 2-1 win over Germany in Sydney.
Swiatek overcame Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-2 6-1 at the United Cup for a second singles win of the season, and partnered Hubert Hurkacz to dish out a “double bagel” that put Poland into the quarter-finals of the mixed team tournament.
Swiatek and Hurkacz eased past Sorribes Tormo and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-0 6-0 in the mixed doubles decider to ensure the top seeds finished as Group A winners in the 18-nation event that offers $10 million in prize money.
“I’m happy right now to have another chef in the bakery,” said world number one Swiatek according to Reuters.
Swiatek needed to win her singles match against Spain´s Sara Sorribes Tormo to keep the tie alive. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina had given Spain a 1-0 lead with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 comeback victory over No. 9-ranked Hubert Hurkacz.
Swiatek, who beat Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, earlier dragged Poland back into the tie against Spain with her win over Sorribes Tormo after Davidovich Fokina gave his team the lead with a 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory over Hurkacz.
Casper Ruud also stepped up his preparations for the January 14-28 Australian Open with a pair of wins as he doubled up to guide Norway to a 2-1 victory over Croatia in Sydney.
The former world number two beat Borna Coric 6-4 6-1 to draw his nation level after Donna Vekic defeated Malene Helgo 7-5 3-6 6-3. He then partnered Ulrikke Eikeri to defeat Vekic and Ivan Dodig 6-2 3-6 10-7.
Djokovic, who is gearing up for a tilt at a record-extending 11th Australian Open title this month, appeared to be bothered by his right wrist in practice and occasionally grimaced in the opening set at the RAC Arena.
The Serb had his wrist worked on by a trainer after the first set and Lehecka sensed an opportunity, winning the second set in a tiebreak.
Djokovic took a medical timeout before the start of the third set and came out firing, running up a 5-0 lead before sealing the match.
The 36-year-old said after the win that the wrist was sore.
“But I managed to play it through and it’s not the first or the last time,” he added. “These things happen. You just have to manage and find a solution.
“Let’s see what happens now.”
Djokovic had been scheduled to play in the deciding mixed doubles with Olga Danilovic but has been replaced by Hamad Medjedovic.
Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova had earlier given the Czechs a 1-0 lead by beating Danilovic 6-1 3-6 6-3.
Greece was stunned by Chile in their Group B opener, with Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas losing 6-7(5) 6-3 10-6 to Daniela Seguel and Tomas Barrios Vera in the mixed doubles decider at Sydney’s Ken Rosewell Arena.
Sakkari beat Seguel 6-0 6-1 in the opener before Chile’s Jarry downed Stefanos Sakellaridis 6-3 3-6 7-5 to level the tie after the Greeks decided not to field Australian Open runner-up Tsitsipas in the singles.
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