PERTH, Australia (AP) — Kati Boulter and Cameron Norrie helped Britain beat host Australia 2-1 on the opening day of the United Cup whereas Spain received the decisive combined doubles to edge Brazil 2-1 on Friday.
Blended groups from 18 nations are taking part in in Perth and Sydney in what doubles as a warmup for the Australian Open. The format is a males’s and girls’s singles match and a combined doubles.
Boulter gave Britain a decisive 2-0 lead within the opening Group C match in Perth when she beat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-2, 6-4. Norrie earlier silenced a packed dwelling crowd by defeating Alex de Minaur 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (2).
“I actually needed to dig deep and play very courageous in that third set,” Norrie mentioned. “It’s all the time robust taking part in Alex. He is an efficient buddy of mine and we all the time have battles. I knew I must run so much and I did. It was a fantastic environment.”
Matthew Ebden and Storm Hunter gave Australia a comfort win within the combined doubles in opposition to Boulter and Neal Skupski.
Earlier within the opening Group A match in Perth, Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Sara Sorribes Tormo received the decisive combined doubles in opposition to Brazilian pair Beatriz Haddad Maia and Marcelo Melo 6-4, 7-5.
Haddad Maia had overwhelmed Sorribes Tormo 7-6 (1), 6-2 after Davidovich Fokina dispatched Thiago Seyboth Wild 6-4, 6-0.
Ladies’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek is representing Poland, and males’s No. 1 Novak Djokovic is main Serbia.
Serbia will tackle China on Sunday in Perth and the Czech Republic on Tuesday within the group stage, with Djokovic set to face 58th-ranked Zhang Zhizhen and No. 31 Jiri Lehecka in his singles.
Djokovic received three Grand Slam singles titles this yr, lacking out on solely Wimbledon. He’s making ready to attempt to win the Australian Open for a record-extending eleventh time.
On his arrival in Perth, he reiterated he has no plans to retire.
“I hope it’s not (the) final (time), to be trustworthy. I imply I all the time look ahead to coming again to Australia,” Djokovic mentioned. “I all the time felt like I performed my greatest tennis over time (right here) and had nice assist.”
Djokovic final visited Perth in 2013 when he performed on the Hopman Cup.
“I bear in mind each single time I performed in Perth it was nice attendance, individuals love tennis, individuals love sport in Australia typically,” he mentioned. “I don’t anticipate something much less this time, and I’m positive it’s going to be a blast for all of us.”
