The China Mail - Comeback kid Hurkacz inspires Poland to first United Cup title

Switzerland took a shock early lead when Belinda Bencic stunned world number two Iga Swiatek 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 in the opening singles of the mixed teams event.

Playing his first tournament in seven months following knee surgery, the 28-year-old Hurkacz withstood a Stan Wawrinka fightback to prevail 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 and send it to a deciding doubles.

Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski then completed a famous victory by beating Bencic and Jakub Paul 6-4, 6-3.

Hurkacz fired 18 aces against the 40-year-old Wawrinka to erase two heartbreaking near misses in the last two United Cup finals.

In 2024, Hurkacz squandered two championship points before falling to Germany's Alexander Zverev. The USA's Taylor Fritz denied him in a third-set tie-break last year.

"He's definitely an inspiration," Hurkacz said of Wawrinka, who is playing his final season on tour before retirement.

"I was growing up watching him play, compete and win so much. Obviously his game style is really powerful.

"The shots that he can pull off sometimes, you can really admire them even when you are on the other side of the net."

Bencic won 12 of the final 15 games against a shell-shocked Swiatek, earning her second victory over the world number two.

"To be honest, I felt I was in the match from the very first point," said Bencic, who won all five of her singles matches in the tournament.

"I thought I was going great and I was 0-3 down. I was 'OK, what do I have to do?'

"I think I just tried to keep the level and just wait for some chances."

With the title on the line, Zielinski partnered Kawa to victory over the Swiss pair who had been unbeaten in the tournament, scuppering Bencic's attempt to have a perfect 10-0 record in singles and doubles.

K.Leung--ThChM