UNITED Cup tournament favourites the United States started off its campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over their neighbour to the north, Canada in Perth last night. A highly anticipated clash, Canada was coming off an opening round win over Croatia, and showed it could match it with the number one seeds across the course of a late night.

In the end though, the United States stepped up when called upon to do so, as Top 10 pair Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz won the decisive doubles 7-6 7-5 at RAC Arena. They served nine aces and won 83 per cent of their first serve points to defeat Canadian duo Leylah Fernandez and Felix Auger-Aliassime in an hour and 43 minutes.

The tie went to a decisive mixed doubles after Auger-Aliassime came back from the jaws of defeat to snatch an incredible 4-6 7-5 6-3 victory over Fritz in the men’s singles. That match lasted two hours and 19 minutes, with Auger-Aliassime serving 19 aces to 13, and winning 80 per cent of his first serve points along the way.

Luckily for the number one seeds, Grand Slam champion Gauff was able to easily overcome former US Open runner-up Fernandez in their singles clash, running away a 6-3 6-2 victor with a consistent 87 per cent first serve success rate, as well as saving both break points she faced and converting four of six break point opportunities herself.

Ending the tie just before the stroke of 1am in Perth, the American duo was pleased to come away with the hard-earned victory.

“Really happy with how we played today in the mixed,” Gauff said post-match. “I felt we got better the longer the match went. We had a lot of chances and finally we were able to stick ’em when it mattered.”

“After the way I lost my singles match it would have been really tough to go home today with a mixed doubles loss today as well,” Fritz said. “Thank you Coco for carrying the team and we got it done.”

UNITED STATES (2) defeated CANADA (1)

Coco Gauff (USA) defeated Leylah Fernandez (CAN) 6-3 6-2
Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) defeated Taylor Fritz (USA) 4-6 7-5 6-3
C. Gauff/T. Fritz (USA) defeated L. Fernandez/F. Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 7-6 7-5

Up in Sydney, current Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup holders Italy got its United Cup campaign off to a dominant start. The Mediterranean nation did not drop a set en route to a 3-0 whitewash of Switzerland in Group D.

Switzerland defeated France the day before, but Italy was a different beast altogether with four different players contributing to the three wins. Top 5 talent Jasmine Paolini destroyed the returning Belinda Bencic 6-1 6-1 with the former Top 10 Swiss talent not holding a service game all match. That result was followed up by Flavio Cobolli getting the job done over Dominic Stricker in a tighter contest, 6-4 7-6.

Though the tie was sealed already, Italy became the first nation to not drop a set in a tie at the 2025 United Cup when mixed doubles pairing Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori defeated Bencic and Stricker in a relatively comfortable 6-4 6-4 victory.

“I think I played a really good match,” Paolini said post-match. “It’s great to have Belinda back on tour. “She’s an amazing player, she beat me many times. “Maybe even in juniors, so maybe more than twice.

“Today everything worked really well. “I was serving well, I was returning very well. I think that was the key.”

ITALY (3) defeated SWITZERLAND (0)

Jasmine Paolini (ITA) defeated Belinda Bencic (SUI) 6-1 6-1
Flavio Cobolli (ITA) defeated Dominic Stricker (SUI) 6-3 7-6
S. Errani/A. Vavassori (ITA) defeated B. Bencic/D. Stricker (SUI) 6-4 6-4