World No.1 Iga Swiatek guided Team Poland into the semifinals of the ongoing United Cup for the second straight year by overpowering China’s Zheng Qinwen 6-2, 6-3 in Perth on Wednesday. Following her victory, fellow Top 10 Pole Hubert Hurkacz’s triumph in the opening men’s singles match, Swiatek took one hour and 34 minutes to beat 21-year-old Zheng.
“I’m really happy with my game, and also how the atmosphere in the team is. I really feel like we can just be better when we’re together, so for sure playing [with Hurkacz] is an exciting thing to do, and I’m real happy with every match that I play here,” Swiatek was quoted as saying by WTA.
Zheng entered the match behind Swiatek 0-4 but had forced the Pole to a deciding set on three of those four occasions. The top Chinese player led by an early break on Wednesday, hoping to get on the board and win her maiden match against a reigning World No. 1.
The 22-year-old Swiatek quickly regrouped, and after falling down 2-0, she won the next six games to take the opening set. Swiatek converted three break points in the first game.
Zheng fought back from 3-0 down in the second set, saving five break opportunities in a valiant hold for 3-3. Swiatek, on the other hand, recaptured the break at 5-3 with a strong return game, then converted her second match point to send her country to the semi-finals.
Hurkacz brought Poland to the brink of the semi-finals in the first round of the tie, defeating Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 6-4 and giving his team a 1-0 lead.
The Pole swung easily throughout the one-hour, 22-minute match in Perth, complementing massive first serves with slamming forehands to advance to 3-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. “It is always a tough match against him. He can play amazing shots and is such a tough competitor. I am really happy with that victory today. I believe I have more in my game but I was really happy with my performance today. Iga is insane. She is going to fight really hard for Poland now,” Hurkacz said.
