Taylor Fritz delivers as Americans win inaugural United Cup crown

Sydney — Taylor Fritz edged past Matteo Berrettini 7-6(4) 7-6(6), helping favourites the US surge to an insurmountable 3-0 lead over Italy in the final of the inaugural United Cup mixed team tournament and seal the title on Sunday.

Coming into the third rubber with his red-hot team up 2-0 and needing one more win to emerge victors in the $15m tournament, world No 9 Fritz took the opening set when his big-hitting opponent found the net in a tight tiebreak.

Indian Wells champion Fritz squandered five chances to break in the next set but held his nerve in another tiebreak, ensuring victory for the Americans and sparking wild celebrations on the side of the court and in the stands.

Earlier Lorenzo Musetti’s withdrawal from his match with Frances Tiafoe handed the US a 2-0 lead after Jessica Pegula beat Martina Trevisan 6-4 6-2 at Ken Rosewall Arena.

An injury to his right shoulder forced the 20-year-old Musetti to concede to Tiafoe after his first serve of the second set. The Italian lost the opener 6-2.

“He came out playing really well, he had a chance to go for a break early with some great returns but he maybe paid for them,” Tiafoe said.

“I thought I was playing at a really high level. I could see he was tugging his shoulder a lot and stayed locked in. I don’t want to win this way, especially for my team and myself. I hope Lorenzo feels better.”

Tiafoe, ranked 19th in the world, had to fight to win his own opening service game before breaking in the third game and steamrollering his way to a comfortable first-set win.

Musetti, however, was struggling as the match wore on and, after attempting to play after treatment at the side of the court, he stepped over the net to concede.

Pegula, meanwhile, notched up a straight sets victory over a battling Trevisan, clinching the opening set 6-4 as both players struggled to hold serve.

She then took command in the second set, winning the first five games before ending a late fightback by Trevisan to secure a straight-sets win.

Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka warmed up for the Australian Open by capturing her 11th WTA Tour title with a 6-3 7-6(4) win over teenage Czech qualifier Linda Noskova in the Adelaide International 1 final on Sunday.

The big-hitting Sabalenka made a sluggish start to the WTA 500 event this week before hitting her stride and she was flying in the first set against the giant-killing 18-year-old, taking charge of rallies from the baseline to grab the advantage.

Noskova, who had defeated ailing top seed Ons Jabeur in the semifinal after wins over the higher-ranked Daria Kasatkina and two-times Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, took the tight second set to a tiebreak where Sabalenka switched gears.

A cross court winner set up three match points for Sabalenka and the world No 5 double-faulted before closing out the contest with a booming serve for her first title in almost two years and a boost before the January 16-29 Australian Open.

Reuters