Gauff turns tables on Swiatek before Fritz seals trophy for US

Americans defeat Poland to secure United Cup glory as Sabalenka wins Brisbane title

- Tumaini Carayol

In her short time as a professional tennis player, even as her career flourished and she established herself as one of the best in the world, Coco Gauff's great progress was often overshadowed by the problem she just could not solve. By last June, Gauff had lost 11 of 12 matches against Iga Swiatek, an opponent she is likely to play for many more years.

What was once a painfully one-sided non-rivalry may have turned into one of the best match-ups in tennis. Yesterday at the United Cup in Sydney, Gauff registered her second consecutive win over Swiatek, toppling the five-time grand slam champion 6-4, 6-4 after two hours of sublime tennis from both players.

Gauff's win over Swiatek, the world No 2, paved the way for the US to win the United Cup for the second time in the tournament's three years as they defeated Poland 2-0. After Gauff, ranked No 3, secured the first point for the US, the men's No 4, Taylor Fritz, narrowly defeated the No 16, Hubert Hurkacz, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (4).

After an entertaining 10 days at the United Cup, the final women's duel was the most anticipated of all. It lived up to the hype in full as the pair combined to produce a display of the highest quality throughout their two hours on court.