Taylor Fritz had an interesting line post-match after a seemingly straightforward 6-4, 6-4 win over China’s Zhizhen Zheng in the United Cup, saying: “I started to believe my average level would be enough to beat many top guys, feeling back in the flow again from the end of last season,” an ominous sign given how well he was performing in the second-half of 2024.
Fritz finding that level again
NOT needing to play at an incredible level to beat many of his peers, as would’ve felt like the case three or four years ago, is a confidence boost for an American continuing to learn from difficult experiences in the deep end of Majors and big event play.
That served as the perfect segue into praise for his United Cup teammate and world no. 3 Coco Gauff, who has enjoyed a similarly productive week in the team-themed event as the 2023 champions punched their ticket into the final four once more.
Armed with a new coach in Goran Ivanisevic, 2022 Wimbledon champion and 2023 Australian Open runner-up Elena Rybakina was the headline attraction as Kazakhstan eased their way into the semifinals, proving an exhausting task against Iga Swiatek and a similarly busy Poland side who held their nerve against team GB.
Katie Boulter did well to give them renewed hope (and had her chances), Billy Harris relished his underdog role and would’ve learned plenty aganst top-10 players (Alex de Minaur, Hubert Hurkacz), but ultmately their lack of depth proved costly.
Swiatek’s long-rally endurance saw her earn a 7-6, 6-4 win over Rybakina during an entertaining clash typified by the match’s final point: a seemingly never-ending rally with the world no.2 pinned at the back of the court, Rybakina netting a forehand after three line-kissing returns threatened to end the tense exchange earlier.
Elsewhere in perhaps the most deceptive 6-2, 6-2 scoreline you’ll see, Karolina Muchova showed her superior court coverage and delightful touch across a series of pressure points to bamboozle Jasmine Paolini during an entertaining tussle of Major finalists as Czech Republic were 2-1 winners over Italy at the quarter-final stage.
“I have to stay focused because she puts every ball back, just have to be aggressive, I wouldn’t say I feel safe… but I’m comfortable going forward, feel good at the net,” she told former pro-turned-analyst Laura Robson post-match and it’s an enviable skill few rivals have managed to master.
Sabalenka sailing through
Unless you’ve been living under a rock as far as tennis is concerned over the last two years, you’ll know that Australia has become somewhat of a second home for Aryna Sabalenka.
She’s the two-time defending champion this coming fortnight, has historically played some of her best tennis at warm-up events leading into the year’s first Major and that continued to be the case in 2025, whether her closest rivals are enduring coaching changes or not.
While she continues juggling the emotional rollercoaster ride of momentum swings in her matches, playing on the edge suits the Belarusian better than most.
Perspective, maturity and those chastening losses in previous seasons have certainly helped, to a point where she can skew forehands waywardly long or double-fault on a big point before racing to finish a rally at the net and recover from precarious scoreboard pressure in the very next moment.
This happened on a few occasions already to start 2025, against giantkiller Yulia Putintseva and Marie Bouzkova in Brisbane to set up an eagerly-anticipated semifinal clash against teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva – who bested an under-the-weather Sabalenka over three sets in Paris last summer.
Despite facing break point early in set one, the world no. 1 held firm and produced more of the powerful hitting that has many of her rivals dumbfounded against an encouraging-but-errant Andreeva showing to prevail without issue.
Opelka’s big Djokovic scalp
Reilly Opelka channelled his inner Novak Djokovic to outfox the Olympic champion 7-6 (3), 6-3 after an evening of blistering baseline exchanges and fantastic serving – 16 aces – helped him produce a memorable career-best victory in their Brisbane quarter-final, a first meeting that’ll enthuse the returning American of his level.
Prior, the Serb continued his Australian Open preparations after a well-publicised doubles stint alongside adversary-turned-friend Nick Kyrgios. Having blasted beyond hometown wildcard Rinky Hijikata on Tuesday, the Serb’s hand skills and composure on big points saw him continue his perfect H2H record against Gael Monfils (20-0).
He hailed the Frenchman, a year older and far more unpredictable here, as one of the sport’s best-ever athletes with an exciting must-see quality few are able to harness.
Incredible flexibility and agility gave the 38-year-old half-a-chance in this tussle of veterans, though he failed to convert any of his three break point chances and Djokovic’s rhythm settled as the score grew in his favour. That set up a first meeting with a big-serving American in the quarters, one neither will likely soon forget.
Opelka, who held his nerve in a pair of tiebreaks to stun Italy’s Mattia Arnaldi 7-6 (9), 7-6 (4) during the previous round’s action, will now face a much different proposition for a place in his first ATP final since April 2022 as the 27-year-old’s resurgence after serious hip and wrist injuries continues at perhaps the best possible time.
That man is rising French star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (21), who backed up his three-set Kyrgios scalp with an eyewatering 20 aces – including a flawless first game flush with them – en route to a 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory over Opelka’s compatriot Frances Tiafoe during a match of fine margins.
When did he start cracking 200km/h aces, the question was posed during his on-court interview. Maybe at age 10, he joked.
15 or 16-years-old was the actual answer for an exciting prospect still finding his feet but unafraid to showcase a wicked weapon that will continue to blossom as he builds up the rally tolerance and ability to hang against elite-level contemporaries, backed by his forehand, tactical pressure and net play when opportunities arise.
Picture source: Getty Images
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