Comeback kid Hurkacz inspires Poland to first United Cup title

AFP | Sydney

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Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz capped an emotional injury comeback and earned United Cup redemption as he inspired his country to their first title with victory against Switzerland in Sydney yesterday.

Switzerland took a shock early lead when Belinda Bencic stunned world number two Iga Swiatek 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 in the opening singles of the mixed teams event.

Playing his first tournament in seven months following knee surgery, the 28-year-old Hurkacz withstood a Stan Wawrinka fightback to prevail 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 and send it to a deciding doubles.

Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski then completed a famous victory by beating Bencic and Jakub Paul 6-4, 6-3.

Hurkacz fired 18 aces against the 40-year-old Wawrinka to erase two heartbreaking near misses in the last two United Cup finals.

In 2024, Hurkacz squandered two championship points before falling to Germany’s Alexander Zverev. The USA’s Taylor Fritz denied him in a third-set tiebreak last year.

“He’s definitely an inspiration,” Hurkacz said of Wawrinka, who is playing his final season on tour before retirement. “I was growing up watching him play, compete and win so much. Obviously his game style is really powerful.

“The shots that he can pull off sometimes, you can really admire them even when you are on the other side of the net.”