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The United Cup is underway
The United Cup is underway with the United States’ Taylor Fritz and the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka squaring off at Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena.
Only a small crowd at Sydney Olympic Park at the moment, but that will increase for the night session when Australia takes on Great Britain.
There’s the first show of team camaraderie as well with the Czech team forming a little huddle and having a laugh after a few quiet words. Most players have spoken about how refreshing the last few days have been as part of a team. It can be a lonely life as a touring professional.
World No.9 Fritz to serve first against Lehecka, who is ranked 72 places below his opponent. It’s the first time these two have ever met in a professional match.
How will the United Cup work?
It’s the centrepiece of a revamped Australian summer leading into the first grand slam of the year. But how will the United Cup actually work? Here’s an explainer of how the $22 million mixed gender event will actually work.
Tennis Australia boss defends Kyrgios’ withdrawal
Just back to our earlier news of Nick Kyrgios withdrawing from the United Cup at the 11th hour with an ankle injury, Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley has defended the world No.22’s absence from the inaugural event in an interview with Today.
United States’ big guns on court against Czech Republic
The United States and Czech Republic to start the event in a few minutes.
The US will be hard to beat in the next fortnight with all four of their singles players ranked inside the world’s top 20 – the only country competing at the United Cup to have that luxury.
Here’s how the Sydney schedule looks for today:
Noon: Taylor Fritz (USA) v Jiri Lehecka (Cze) followed by Madison Keys (USA) v Marie Bouzkova (Cze)
7pm: Alex de Minaur (Aus) v Cameron Norrie (GB) followed by Zoe Hives (Aus) v Katie Swan (GB)
Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas will be the headline act in Perth today for his singles rubber against Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov while Switzerland’s world No.12 Belinda Bencic is up against Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva tonight in Brisbane.
Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas will be in United Cup action in Perth.Credit:Getty
De Minaur to lead Australian charge after Kyrgios withdrawal
Here’s what’s in store today with Australia to headline with the night session with Alex de Minaur up in the men’s singles against Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie and Zoe Hives to take to the court in the women’s rubber against Great Britain’s No.2 Katie Swan.
It was supposed to be Nick Kyrgios’ first match back in Australia since his Wimbledon heroics, but the world No.22 withdrew on Wednesday – less than 24 hours before the event started – with an ankle injury he hopes to mend before the Australian Open.
It was a frosty reception from his Australian teammates when asked about it at the team press conference on Wednesday. They said they only found about Kyrgios’ withdrawal 10 minutes before fronting the media.
I don’t think Kyrgios’ Instagram post from Darling Harbour a couple of hours later would have went down too well inside the Australian locker room.
You can read Michael Chammas’ story here.
Kyrgios training for the United Cup on Tuesday.Credit:Tennis Australia
Welcome to the United Cup
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the start of the Australian summer of tennis coming to you from Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena for the inaugural United Cup.
Eighteen countries with mixed gender teams will compete across three cities in the event, a first for world tennis bringing men and women together to compete on the same team.
Oh, did we mention it has a lazy $22 million in prize money on offer?
We’ll be with you right throughout the opening day to bring you all the action from Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
