United Cup: Hurkacz pulls double duty helping Poland defeat Kazakhstan

• Hubert beats Alexander to give Poland a 2-1 lead in United Cup.
• Magda Linette secures winning point for Poland with 6-2, 6-1.
• Poland will next face Switzerland to decide the winner of Group B.

At the United Cup, Hubert Hurkacz triumphed over Alexander Bublik 7-6(8), 4-6, 6-3 to give Poland a 2-1 lead over Kazakhstan on Sunday. This victory was crucial for his nation.

After that, Magda Linette completed the task, and Hurkacz-Iga Swiatek completed a 4-1 win for their nation in the mixed doubles.

Polish player Linette, ranked 48th in the world, won the match 6-2, 6-1 over Kazakhstan’s Zhibek Kulambayeva.

“Hubi’s trailing was excellent. It was tense watching that game from them. But having the advantage of knowing he had won was incredibly good. It went well, and I just did my part “said Linette.

Hurkacz’s match looked like it would end in a tie-break in the third set between two of the top servers on the ATP Tour, but Hurkacz took advantage of a situational opening just when it mattered most. In order to put Bublik on the back foot and earn an easy putaway on his third breakpoint at 4-3, the Pole played a well-placed return deep in the court. He then sprinted forward and produced a flawless half volley.

Hurkacz did not display any signs of anxiety as he approached the serving line to claim the victory. The victory came after two hours and nine minutes thanks to the Pole’s tenacious defence and his 18th match-winning ace.

“A lot of fun was had playing Sascha. I consider the quality to be quite great. It was a really good start to the year because it was the first game of the year on the first [day of the year]. The match was absolutely entertaining, and I’m pretty delighted with the quality ” Hurkacz declared.

“Playing in front of such an enthusiastic audience was a lot of pleasure. Brisbane is a city I have never been before, so thanks for visiting “Added he.

Hurkacz has won four straight matches against Kazakhstani, and he currently holds a 4-1 advantage over Bublik in their ATP head-to-head series. Bublik served up 15 aces and fended off three of his four break opportunities, but his final service game proved to be his downfall.

In her opening game of the year, Linette was ruthless, displaying her talent and expertise against Brisbane’s rising star Kulambayeva. The 22-year-old, who was ranked 441st, was unable to respond to Linette’s constant baseline. In the match, Linette outshot Kulambayeva by 18 groundstroke winners to only 5.

Hurkacz and Swiatek triumphed over Kulambayeva and Grigoriy Lomakin 6-3, 6-4 in the mixed doubles while the match was already decided.

Lomakin successfully executed a number of underarm serves, but the Kazakhstanis were unsatisfied. Swiatek, the top-ranked player in the WTA rankings, hit an around-the-net-post winner, and Poland will now play Switzerland to determine who will win Group B.

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