Poland secured its place in the semifinals of the United Cup with a victory over Great Britain on Thursday in Australia.
Hubert Hurkacz got Poland, the second seed, off to a lead in the mixed-team event with a 7-6 (3), 7-5 defeat of Billy Harris. Iga Swiatek nailed the victory with a 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-4 win against Katie Boulter and the sixth-seeded Brits in their first career meeting.
Poland, which lost to Germany in the championship round of the United Cup last year, will meet Kazakhstan in one semifinal on Saturday. The United States will face the winner of Friday’s contest between Italy and Czechia in the other semifinal.
Brisbane International
Top seed Novak Djokovic reached the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Gael Monfils, sending him to a 20-0 career record against the Frenchman.
The first victory for Djokovic, 37, against Monfils, now, 38, came at the U.S. Open in 2005.
Djokovic, of Serbia, will meet Reilly Opelka in the quarterfinals in Australia. Opelka was a 7-6 (9), 7-6 (4) winner over Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi.
Also advancing were Czech Jakub Mensik, who defeated Dusan Lajovic of Serbia 6-3, 6-2, and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who beat fourth-seeded Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 7-6 (4).
Hong Kong Open
Hungarian Fabian Marozsan upset top-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 to move to the quarterfinals in Hong Kong.
Marozsan will meet Chinese left-hander Juncheng Shang after the latter’s victory over Pedro Martinez of Spain 6-3, 6-1.
Also advancing were second seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, who dispatched Gabriel Diallo of Canada 6-4, 6-3, and Jaume Munar of Spain, who upset fifth-seeded Nuno Borges of Portugal.
–Field Level Media
No. 1 seed Carlos Alcaraz of Spain was pushed to three sets before finishing off Dutch wild card Botic van de Zandschulp 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-1 in the first round…
Former World No. 1 Simona Halep, who won two Grand Slams before a doping suspension, announced her retirement on Tuesday following a loss at the Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca, Romania….
No. 6 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia needed just 59 minutes to oust American Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-1 in the first round of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open on Tuesday….
Two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep retires
WTA roundup: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova cruises in Abu Dhabi
ATP roundup: Frances Tiafoe wins Dallas opener
WTA roundup: Veronika Kudermetova pulls upset in Abu Dhabi