Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys earned the United States a 2-1 lead over Great Britain before the US team clinched its spot in the United Cup semifinal when Frances Tiafoe Great Britain’s Daniel Evans in three sets in the Sydney City Finals on Ken Rosewall Arena. Tiafoe gave the US team an unassaible 3-1 lead over Great Britain.
The US team set up a semifinal clash against Poland, which starts on Friday in Sydney.
Madison Keys came back from a set down to beat world number 145 Katie Swan 2-6 6-3 6-4 in the women’s singles match.
Swan earned a double break in the first and third games to take a 3-0 lead. Keys pulled one break back in the fourth game for 1-3. Swan broke for the second time in the seventh game to win the first set 6-2.
Keys bounced back by winning the second set 6-3 with a break in the second game. The US player went up a break in the fifth game of the third set to take a 3-2 lead, but she was not able to hold on her lead, as Swan broke straight back in the suxth game to draw level to 3-3 after a double fault from Keys.
Keys broke for the second time in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead and served out the win after 2 hours and 18 minutes.
World number 14 Cameron Norrie battled past number 9 Taylor Fritz 6-4 5-7 6-4 in a hard-fought match.
Jessica Pegula eased past Harriet Dart 6-2 6-0 to give the USA the 2-1 lead.
Last year’s US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe came back from one set down to beat Daniel Evans 3-6 7-5 6-3.
Evans broke serve in the sixth game to win the first set 6-4. The British player earned two break points in the 11th game to go up 6-5 in the second set and serve for the match, but Tiafoe saved them to hold serve before breaking serve in the 12th game to close out the second set 7-5 with a lob.
Tiafoe earned the crucial break in the sixth game to seal the third set 6-3 in 2 hours and 11 minutes. The US player improved his head-to-head series lead to 4-2 over Evans.
Tiafoe has won all three matches he has played at this edition of the United Cup after beating Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac and and Germany’s Oscar Otte.
The US team reached the final when Taylor Fritz and Jessica Pegula beat Daniel Evans and Harriet Dart 6-4 6-4 in a dead mixed doubles rubber match.
“I think Madison really set the tone with her match. I did everything really well today. I could feel it Some days you come out firing and you feel really good. I was honestly trying to settle myself down because I was seeing the ball really well today”, said Jessica Pegula.
