Gauff secures victory, propelling Team USA into the final of the United Cup following Machac's retirement
Taylor Fritz concluded a flawless beginning to 2025 for Team USA on Wednesday, securing their place in the semi-finals of the United Cup.
Ranked No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Fritz delivered an impressive serving performance, defeating Zhang Zhizhen with a score of 6-4, 6-4, thereby establishing an insurmountable 2-0 lead for Team USA against China in Perth. Throughout the one-hour and 19-minute match, he maintained a high level of play, conceding only four points on his serve.
"Coco did an excellent job of putting us in the lead and allowing me the opportunity to secure our advancement," Fritz remarked, noting that he has now leveled his Lexus ATP Head2Head record with Zhang at 1-1. "There was some pressure, as I didn't want to be the one to let the team down after Coco's success in all her matches this week. I played a very solid match and am quite pleased with my performance."
"… I feel like I've improved with each match I've played, and tonight's performance definitely felt like I was regaining the rhythm I had at the end of last year."
Fritz’s victory, his seventh in this event, complemented Coco Gauff’s straight-sets win over Zhang Shuai. As the champions of the United Cup two years ago, Team USA will now join Kazakhstan on a cross-country flight to Sydney, where they will compete in the semi-finals against either Italy or Czechia.
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| Taylor Fritz defeats Zhang Zhizhen at the 2025 United Cu |
Fritz's significantly enhanced serve was not the sole factor contributing to his success. The reigning US Open and Nitto ATP Finals runner-up generated nine break points through his relentless ball striking, successfully converting two of them to secure a decisive quarter-final victory for the USA.
"Towards the end of last year, I made substantial improvements to my game and began to believe that the average level I could consistently produce was sufficient to compete against many of the higher-ranked players, whom I previously thought I needed to play exceptionally well to defeat," Fritz remarked.
Earlier in the day, World No. 3 Gauff faced a challenging match against China's Zhang Shuai but ultimately triumphed with a score of 7-6(4), 6-2, giving the USA an early advantage.
"Against Shuai, I had to serve an ace to win the point," Gauff stated. "She was playing exceptional tennis. Dennis [Kudla] mentioned that I managed to dig it out, and that truly reflected my experience on the court. I found myself on the ground for much of the match."
"The harder I struck the ball, the harder she responded," Gauff continued. "I felt unable to put her on the defensive. She was playing aggressively against me, which compelled me to take more risks with my second serves, leading to additional double faults. However, if I simply placed the ball in play, it often resulted in a return winner. Therefore, I had to seize my opportunities."
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