Gauff and Swiatek to meet in United Cup final

Swiatek powered Poland into the final with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 defeat of Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, after Hubert Hurkacz beat Alexander Shevchenko 6-3 6-2.

Poland will now contest the final for a second successive season, after losing the show-piece to Germany.

"It is perfect preparation for the Australian Open," said world number two Swiatek, who beat Rybakina for the third time from their seventh meeting.

"I for sure did not start well and had the handbrake on a bit. I knew I had to do something and change the momentum.

"For sure it was tough, it's always tough against Elena."

In the past four decades, Swiatek (70.3%) is now one of only four players to hold a 70+% career winning percentage against WTA top 10 opponents (minimum 10 matches played).

The 23-year-old has now won her past 34 matches against top-10 ranked opponents after taking the first set, with only one of those wins going to a third set.

34 - Iga Swiatek has now won her past 34 matches against WTA top 10 opponents after taking the first set, with only one of those wins going to a third set. Momentum.#UnitedCup | @UnitedCupTennis @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/UyD8xU7736

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) January 4, 2025

The United States stand in the way of Poland, after Gauff and Taylor Fritz overcame the duo from Czechia.

Gauff made light work of beating Karolina Muchova 6-1 6-4, though last year's US Open finalist Fritz had a harder time against Tomas Machac.

Indeed, Machac was a set up when he approached the net to concede, having elected to retire due to injury.

"He said he had been cramping for a couple of games - I didn't notice," said Fritz, who had to claw back two match points but was about to serve for the second set, which he led 6-5.

"He was moving pretty well, but I guess he was playing through it and fighting.

"It's really humid in here. That's something I was thinking about as a possibility – if I could win that set and take it to a third, I was thinking he might start cramping later on.