Poland dominate Kazakhstan to reach the United Cup final

Things are heating up at the United Cup. The day kicks off with a mouth-watering Poland-Kazakhstan semi-final in Sydney.

In the opening game, Hubert Hurkacz faced Alexander Shevchenko.

The two-time Masters 1000 winner has stepped up his game in this tournament and, after losing his first two singles matches to Ruud and Machac, Hurkacz beat Harris in the quarters.

Well on his way, the 16th player in the world dominated this match head and shoulders to win against Shevchenko (6-3, 6-2 in less than an hour's play), perfectly launching his team on the road to a second consecutive final in the competition.

Following on from this, the clash between Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina was well worth the detour. The match was tighter, and after a battle lasting over two hours, it was the Polish player who had the last word (7-6, 6-4).

This was Swiatek's third victory over Rybakina in seven matches. Thanks to this success, Poland will now play in the final.

Beaten by Germany last year, Poland came up short on the last step, but now have the chance to go one better than they did in 2024.

To do so, they will have to overcome either the United States or the Czech Republic, who meet in the other semi-final.

As for Kazakhstan, this is their first successful participation in the United Cup, with a semi-final appearance.