The countries of Australia, Great Britain, and the United States have received attention for being placed in the same group for the United Cup, the primary tournament leading up to the Australian Open in late December.
The second pool in Perth will include Serbia, whose leader is the top-ranked player in the world, Novak Djokovic. They will be joined by China and the Czech Republic. Poland’s women’s world No 2, Iga Swiatek, will also be playing in Perth against Spain and another qualifier to be announced later.
In the city of Sydney, the top-10 ranked players from Greece, Stefanos Tsitipas and Maria Sakkari, will face off against Canada and a yet-to-be-determined third qualifier in Group B. The second group, also based in Sydney, consists of France, Italy, and Germany. The third group is made up of Croatia, Netherlands, and Norway.
The main topic of conversation during the draw on Monday in Circular Quay, Sydney was Group C and the arrangement of the three countries that primarily speak English in Perth.
Wally Masur, the former captain of Australia’s Davis Cup team, stated that this could potentially mark the end of a wonderful relationship.
The Australian team for the team-based event includes Alex de Minaur, ranked 13th in the world, and Ajla Tomljanović. Meanwhile, the USA team will be led by top 10 players Taylor Fritz and Jessica Pegula, along with Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, and Katie Boulter representing Great Britain.
The upcoming tournament will have three matches per fixture, which is less than the previous edition’s five matches. The three matches will include one men’s singles, one women’s singles, and one mixed doubles match. Each fixture will be played in one session, ensuring a definite outcome for fans at the venue.
De Minaur and Boulter may potentially compete together in mixed doubles as they have been romantically involved for over two years.
Masur explained that Alex may have to play three sets against Cam Norrie, and it may not be beneficial for him to also compete in the mixed event. However, if he were to play against Boulter, it would bring an exciting element to the match.
Nine out of the top 20 male singles players and five out of the top 10 female singles players in the world have been selected to participate in the upcoming pre-Australian Open tournament, which is expected to be the most prestigious one. The qualifying rounds for the Melbourne Grand Slam will begin on January 11th, followed by the main tournament three days later.
The preliminary rounds and quarter-final matches will take place in both Perth and Sydney. Afterwards, the semi-finals and final will be held in Sydney, with the tournament concluding on January 7th.
Queensland hosted part of the tournament last year, but will instead revert to its traditional tournament, the Brisbane International, starting on 31 December.
Warm-up events for the Australian Open are also being held in Adelaide, Hobart, and Canberra.
Source: theguardian.com
