SYDNEY: Poland exacted revenge for their loss to the United States in last year’s final, beating the defending champions in their last-four tie at the United Cup to set up a title clash with Switzerland, who beat Belgium in their semi-final with Belinda Bencic playing a starring role on Saturday.

Hubert Hurkacz stunned world number nine Taylor Fritz in the men’s singles to give Poland the lead, before Coco Gauff beat Iga Swiatek to level the tie. But Poland prevailed in the mixed doubles decider, where Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski beat Gauff and Christian Harrison.

Hurkacz, ranked 83rd in the world, avenged his loss to Fritz in last year’s final in a 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (7/2) win, after taking the lead in both tiebreaks with well-placed backhand passing shots to beat his second top-10 ranked opponent this week.

“Definitely pleasantly surprised... in seven months, [this is] my first tournament. So coming back from such a long period the first time in my life, you never know what to expect,” said Hurkacz, who also beat world number three Alexander Zverev on Monday when he returned from an injury layoff.

World number four Gauff got the US back in the game, beating Swiatek 6-4, 6-2, as the American’s powerful shots forced the world number two to stay near the baseline and make mistakes with her backhand returns.

It was Gauff’s fourth consecutive victory over the world number two and a statement win with the Australian Open just over a week away.

Gauff, however, could not complete her team’s comeback, as Kawa and Zielinski won 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3) in the mixed doubles, ensuring Poland’s progress to Sunday’s final.

“I’m so proud of our team... I gave everything that I had. It means a lot, it’s a great victory for us,” Kawa said.

In the other last-four clash, Stan Wawrinka lost in three sets in gruelling heat of more than 40C but Switzerland beat Belgium 2-1.

The Tokyo Olympic champion Bencic had put Switzerland in front with a battling 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/0) victory over Elise Mertens in two hours and 37 minutes.

“It feels like 170 kilos fell off my shoulders -- I was so stressed, I really wanted to do well and today I felt so much pressure to not let my team down,” Bencic said.

Then it was over to the 40-year-old Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion who was on Friday handed a wildcard to the Australian Open starting on January 18.

Wawrinka, playing his final year before retirement, fought back to force a deciding set against Zizou Bergs, but the Belgian ultimately won 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 in two-and-a-half hours.

That meant the semi-final went down to the mixed doubles, with Bencic and Jakub Paul defeating Bergs and Mertens 6-3, 0-6, 10-5 in another tight battle.

“The team spirit is amazing and it starts with the captain,” Bencic said, referring to Wawrinka. “He’s supporting all throughout my match and then he goes out to play his own match and then he’s back to support the doubles. It starts with him but then with all the energy from our bench it gives us such a spirit to win.”

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2026