SYDNEY (AP) \u2014 Poland reached the United Cup final after Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski beat Coco Gauff and Christian Harrison 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) in a mixed doubles decider.<\/p>\n
Poland will face Switzerland in Sunday\u2019s final.<\/p>\n
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Kawa and Zielinski were decisive once again<\/a>, having won the mixed-doubles decider in the quarterfinals against Australia. Six-time Grand Slam singles champion Iga \u015awi\u0105tek<\/a> rushed over to join the celebrations.<\/p>\n Earlier, Gauff beat the No. 2-ranked \u015awi\u0105tek 6-4, 6-2 to force a mixed-doubles decider.<\/p>\n Fourth-ranked Gauff, the French Open champion<\/a>, evened the matchup at 1-1 at the team event after Hubert Hurkacz beat Taylor Fritz 7-6 (1), 7-6 (2) in the singles opener at Ken Rosewall Arena. It was Gauff’s fourth straight victory over \u015awi\u0105tek, the Wimbledon champion.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The Swiss advanced when Belinda Bencic combined with Jakub Paul in the deciding mixed doubles to defeat Belgium\u2019s Elise Mertens and Zizou Bergs 6-3, 0-6, 10-5.<\/p>\n Bencic has won all four of her singles matches and four in mixed doubles this week in the team event. Paul, who won just six tour-level doubles matches last year, hit several down-the-line winners at crucial moments to lead Switzerland into the final.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s so brave it\u2019s unbelievable,\u201d Bencic said of Paul. \u201cI tell him to go (for it) and he actually goes. It\u2019s crazy.”<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Earlier, Bencic extended her undefeated season-opening singles streak when she beat Mertens 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (0) to put Switzerland ahead 1-0. But Stan Wawrinka, who will retire<\/a> at the end of this season, was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3 by Bergs to send the match to a mixed doubles decider at Ken Rosewall Arena.<\/p>\n The turning point in the Wawrinka-Bergs match came in the eighth game of the third set when Bergs broke Wawrinka\u2019s serve to go up 5-3, then held serve to win the match.<\/p>\n Tournament organizers started play 30 minutes earlier than scheduled with searing temperatures of up to 43 Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) in the forecast for Sydney.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Bencic had won all six sets in her first three matches at the United Cup. She was two games away from another two-set win before Mertens pushed the match the distance.<\/p>\n Then Mertens came from 3-1 down in the third set, saved a pair of break points that would have given Bencic a 4-1 lead, and was two points away from the set win with Bencic serving at 30-30, down 6-5.<\/p>\n But Bencic won the last nine points of the match following a decision to change her racket to a freshly-strung one.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels like 170 kilos fell off my shoulders \u2014 I was so stressed; I really wanted to do well, and today I felt so much pressure to not let my team down,\u201d Bencic said.<\/p>\n On the racket change, she said: \u201cMy brain turned off and let my instincts take over. I think it was just a feeling.”<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n