Coco Gauff Falls, Taylor Fritz Fights Back: United Cup Delivers Opening-Week Chaos

Last Updated:January 05, 2026, 18:36 IST

Meanwhile Hubert Hurkacz upset Alexander Zverev in Sydney. Poland advanced with Iga Swiatek's win; Czech Republic swept Norway.

Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz at the United Cup (AP)

World number four Coco Gauff’s perfect United Cup record came crashing down on Monday as Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro delivered a stunning upset in Perth, dealing the American a timely jolt ahead of the Australian Open.

Bouzas Maneiro, ranked 42nd, outplayed Gauff 6-1, 6-7 (7/3), 6-0 to claim the first top-five win of her career and hand Gauff her first singles defeat at the United Cup after six straight victories.

The result briefly put the United States on the back foot, but Gauff quickly made amends. After Taylor Fritz dragged the tie level with a gritty win, Gauff teamed up with Christian Harrison to dominate the mixed doubles, beating Ivonne Cavalle-Reimers and Inigo Cervantes 7-6 (7/5), 6-0 to secure a quarter-final berth for the Americans.

“I know Coco is a fighter," Bouzas Maneiro said after the match. “Even when you’re ahead, you have to stay fully focused because she’s always there."

Fritz, battling a knee issue, needed more than three hours to overcome Jaume Munar 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), saving a match point in the deciding tiebreak. “I was exhausted and started feeling my knee late on, but it wasn’t bad enough to stop," he said.

Elsewhere, the shocks kept coming. In Sydney, Germany’s world number three Alexander Zverev was beaten 6-3, 6-4 by Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, who was playing his first tournament since June following knee surgery. Hurkacz, now ranked 83rd, was rock-solid on serve and faced just one break point in an impressive return to competition.

“I’ve been through a really tough seven months," Hurkacz said. “Today was about enjoying being back on court."

Poland sealed the tie thanks to former world number one Iga Swiatek, who battled past Eva Lys 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a demanding contest lasting nearly two and a half hours.

Earlier, the Czech Republic swept Norway 3-0 in Sydney, while Great Britain and Greece were set to clash later in Perth.

(with AFP inputs)

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