Taylor Fritz's perfect start in 2025 secures Team USA's spot in the United Cup semi-finals.
No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Fritz defeated Zhang Zhizhen 6-4, 6-4, giving a serving clinic. This put Team USA at a 2-0 lead against China in Perth. Fritz dominated the match, only dropping four points on his serve in one hour and 19 minutes.
Fritz praised Cocodid for helping them take the lead and giving him the opportunity to secure their win. He felt a bit of pressure but was satisfied with his solid performance.
Fritz's seventh victory at the event supported Gauff's win over Zhang Shuai. The USA, previous champions, will compete in the semi-finals against Italy or Czechia in Sydney, alongside Kazakhstan.
Fritz's improved serve and relentless ballstriking caused him damage. He carved out 9 break points, converting twice, to win the quarter-final.
Fritz believes his recent improvements to his game have made him capable of defeating higher-ranked players without having to play exceptionally well.
Gauff battled Zhang Shuai to win 7-6(4), 6-2, giving the USA the lead.
Gauff praised Shuai's tennis skills and said she had to hit an ace to win the point. She also mentioned that she felt like she was on the ground for most of the match.
Gauff impressed in her United Cup debut, fighting back from a break down three times to defeat Zhang. The 35-year-old veteran filled in for injured Gao Xinyu during the singles match.
Zhang maintained Gauff anchored behind the baseline with her depth of shot, aggressive baseline placement, and flat groundstrokes. She broke Gauff with confidence in the opening game of the match, but she was unable to consolidate her break, which would prove to be her undoing in the opening set. In the first set, Zhang broke three ties with Gauff, but she was defeated each time, including when she served to end the set at 6-5.
After drawing Zhang in, Gauff played a fantastic tiebreak to take the set in 59 minutes, setting up her set points with a flawless lob. After 1 hour and 34 minutes, Gauff maintained her momentum into the second set, quickly gaining a 3-0 lead and defending her serve to end the arduous victory. Gauff increased her record against Zhang to 3-0 with the win.
Desirae Krawczyk made her third appearance with the USA United Cup squad, playing her first match with Robert Galloway, who was making her debut. Before traveling to Sydney, the American team defeated Zhang and Sun Fajing 6-3, 6-7(1), 10-3 to complete a 3-0 whitewash in the quarterfinal round.