PERTH, Australia — After a singles loss and social media drama earlier in the week, Coco Gauff did all her talking on court on Wednesday in the United Cup quarterfinals.
Gauff beat Maria Sakkari, 6-3, 6-2, to give the defending championUnited States a 1-0 lead over Greece. Taylor Fritz had a chance in a singles match to follow against Stefanos Tsitsipas to advance the Americans to the semifinals in Sydney on Saturday.
On Monday, Gauffdropped a poston social media just before she started her singles match, hoping to add context toher recent comments about American tennis fans.
The ensuing match didn’t go well for the No. 4-ranked Gauff, who lost the first five games and struggled in a 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-0 loss to No. 42 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. But Fritz won his singles match, and Gauff and Christian Harrison combined in mixed doubles to clinch top spot in Group A and advance the Americans to the quarterfinals.
“I think I was striking the ball well today, and when that happens, my movement on the court is also good,” Gauff said Wednesday. “I usually know it’s going to be a good day.”
In a night quarterfinal at Perth, Stan Wawrinka,playing in his farewell tourthis year beforeretiring, was scheduled to lead Switzerland against Argentina.
At Sydney, Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Świątek were victorious in their singles matches to give Poland a winning 2-0 lead over the Netherlands and a place in the quarterfinals from Group F.
In New Zealand, Venus Williams has lost her first singles match of 2026 to fifth-seeded Magda Linette at the WTA Tour tournament in Auckland.
The 45-year-old Williams put up a superb show before losing 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to the No. 52-ranked Linette, who was only 2 years old when Williams played her first professional singles match.
Tuesday’s match was Williams’ 1,101st in singles on the WTA Tour. But the competitiveness she showed against a player 12 years her junior will give her confidence as she heads to Australia for the Hobart International and theAustralian Open.
AP