Team Poland celebrate winning the final match against team Switzerland at the 2026 United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Australia, Jan. 11, 2026. (Tennis Australia/Handout via Xinhua)
SYDNEY, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Women's world number two Iga Swiatek slumped to a second consecutive defeat ahead of the Australian Open, but Poland recovered to beat Switzerland 2-1 on Sunday and clinch their first title at the mixed-teams United Cup in Sydney.
After the singles matches were split, Jan Zielinski and Katarzyna Kawa beat Belinda Bencic and Jakub Paul 6-4, 6-3 in the mixed doubles.
It was a major relief for Poland, who fell short in the final in the previous two editions and they started on the back foot after Bencic beat Swiatek 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 in two hours and 12 minutes.
Bencic won the 2026 United Cup MVP award after finished the tournament with 9 wins and 1 loss, including a 5-0 singles record.
There was much attention on the women's singles with Swiatek, a six-time grand slam champion, keen to respond after winning just six games against No.4 Coco Gauff on Saturday in a lacklustre performance in the semifinals.
Swiatek was keen to get her Australian Open preparations back on track and entered with a commanding 5-1 record against Bencic, who fancied her chances having been in superb touch during her unbeaten run through the tournament.
A determined Swiatek came out with guns blazing and captured the break in the second game after hitting a piercing forehand backhand down the line.
An unruffled Bencic briefly fought back, but Swiatek's ball striking was imperious and she clinched the first set when her backhand caught the baseline.
There was a dramatic turn in the second set with Bencic running all over a flustered Swiatek in an indefatigable effort after beating Belgium's Elise Mertens in a three-set thriller on Saturday amid oppressive heat.
Swiatek had to shrug off the ignominy of a bagel set but was left helpless against an aggressive Bencic, who was hitting the corners with precision.
Bencic was unable to convert two match points in the seventh game as Swiatek unfurled clutch serves to prolong the contest.
But Bencic wrapped it up in the next game, sealing a memorable victory with a brilliant backhand down the line before throwing her racquet high in the air in celebration.
A shell-shocked Swiatek threw her racquet in anger as she trudged off after a second straight defeat ahead of the Australian Open, the only grand slam title that has eluded her.
"I think the difference today was I played very freely, I was really enjoying myself out on the court and I was just really going for it," said world No.11 Bencic.
The pressure was on Hubert Hurkacz, who overcame a second set wobble to storm past three-time grand slam champion Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Hurkacz, a former world No.6, continued his impressive comeback after being sidelined for seven months following knee surgery.
He fired down 18 aces to outlast a gallant Wawrinka, who has started his farewell season on the tour.
"Stan was the better player in the second set and I knew I was catching him towards the end," Hurkacz said. "I was finding a better game and I knew I can raise my serve game and that gave me confidence." ■
Team Switzerland pose for photo after the final match of the 2026 United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Australia, Jan. 11, 2026. (Tennis Australia/Handout via Xinhua)
Team Poland (L) and Team Switzerland pose for photo after the final match of the 2026 United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Australia, Jan. 11, 2026. (Tennis Australia/Handout via Xinhua)
Team Poland celebrate winning the final match against team Switzerland at the 2026 United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Australia, Jan. 11, 2026. (Tennis Australia/Handout via Xinhua)
