Sydney showdown: United Cup schedule locked in as local hopes ramp up Australian Open preparations
Alex de Minaur and Maya Joint will begin their Australian Open preparations in Sydney, with all the key dates and schedule information locked in for the United Cup.
Alex de Minaur and Maya Joint will begin their Australian Open preparations on January 3 when they take on team Norway in a blockbuster group D clash in Sydney at the United Cup.
Australia are the fourth seeds for the tournament which begins in Perth on January 2, with team USA entering the mixed team event as the defending champions after they defeated Poland earlier this year.
World No.7 de Minaur is fresh off a semi-final appearance at the ATP Finals in Italy where he lost to eventual champion Jannik Sinner, with the local hope to take on world No.12 Casper Ruud in his first match in Sydney.
De Minaur has a terrific record at the United Cup after he won both of his singles matches this year, although the hosts didn’t reach the knockout stage.
Australia’s top-ranked man will then face Czechia’s Jakub Mensik in the night session on January 6 as he looks for some big scalps ahead of his home grand slam where he’s yet to get past the quarter-finals.
Joint has been one the great success stories this year and has risen to 32 in the world thanks to a couple of tournament victories.
She should be too strong for Norway’s Malene Helgo but then faces a genuine challenge against two-time grand slam champion Barbora Krejcikova, with Joint seeking her first win at her home slam.
Each tie features one men’s singles and one women’s singles match before a mixed doubles clash, with the semis and the final to be played in Sydney.
“We’re extremely proud of this competition for what it represents and celebrates, the fact that our great sport of tennis is played by so many amazing athletes on both the female and male side of the sport,” United Cup tournament director Stephen Farrow said, with a stack of top-10 players locked in for the annual event.
“To bring those athletes together to play for not just big ranking points and prize money but for their country and national pride is what makes this competition so special.
“It’s an intense and exciting atmosphere with loads of fans coming to watch some of the top players in the world, truly engaged and wanting to win out there on court in Perth and Sydney.
“We have a huge amount to look forward to in January.”
Originally published as Sydney showdown: United Cup schedule locked in as local hopes ramp up Australian Open preparations
