The colossal women’s singles tie sealed Team Poland’s fate at the international mixed event, booking its ticket to Sydney.
Next, they will face Kazakhstan, the first nation to qualify for the last four, for a place in the final.
Poland, the 2024 United Cup runner-up, bid farewell to Perth on Thursday night after dismantling Great Britain at the Ken Rosewall Arena, producing a 3-0 win to book the team ticket to the knockout semifinals for the third straight season.
The men’s singles match opened the quarterfinal between both nations.
Pole Hubert Hurkacz prevailed over Briton Billy Harris 7-6(3), 7-5 after one hour and 45 minutes, giving his country a 1-0 lead.
Hurkacz claimed his maiden singles victory at the event’s third edition when it mattered most, having lost his two previous matches in the group stage.
“This win is so crucial for me to get more confidence and get another match in,” the world No. 16 said courtside.
Then, it was time for the women’s singles tie to take the spotlight; the first meeting between WTA world No. 2 Iga Swiatek and No. 24 Katie Boulter would quickly turn into an epic showpiece just short of three hours.
The 22-time WTA titlist fought hard to overpower her rival, notching a pivotal 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-4 triumph for Poland, resulting in a 2-0 tie lead overall.
During her on-court interview, she outlined: “This match was crazy. So many changes of momentum. I thought I had it under control in the first set, but I got tight; I didn’t work on it. I didn’t want to repeat the mistake in the third.”
The world-class contest saw Swiatek opening a deceiving 3-0 advantage in the first set, as the five-time Grand Slam champion seemed to be in control.
However, the 28-year-old fended off four break points on her way to push her opponent with a solid game from the baseline to recover from a 1-4 deficit by flipping the script, breaking to surge to a 4-3 lead.
Building from there, the Brit went toe-to-toe with the former world No. 1, forcing a first-set tiebreak she earned 7-6(4) after 74 minutes.
Swiatek came out firing in the second set, shutting the door to her adversary while making a statement by speeding to convert a double break, testing the three-time WTA titlist physically and mentally.
Ultimately, the Warsaw native wrapped up 6-1, forcing a decider.
A rollercoaster of a set was about to unfold, bringing the spectators to the edge of their seats. Boulter hit first, converting a break to take an early 2-1 advantage.
Then, the 23-year-old appeared to be experiencing discomfort in her right leg, heading to the physio room for a medical time-out.
Once play resumed, Swiatek returned to the court with a strapping on her upper right leg. Nonetheless, the physical issue did not slow her down.
Using her experience and skill set wisely, she left no stone unturned, battling through breathtaking rallies.
Holding her ground under pressure, she saved a crucial break point at 4-4 and never looked back, pocketing the set 6-4 and the match after two hours and 56 minutes.
Assessing her performance, she added: “I tried to keep pushing, knowing that I had to keep up the quality because, with quality, I wouldn’t have to play these longer rallies. But it’s harder to be precise under so much pressure. I made it today. For sure, it’s a step forward.”
Swiatek holds a perfect score, having won all four singles matches and the two mixed doubles ties she contested in the lead-up to Sydney.
Maja Chwalinska andJan Zielinski duo defeated Olivia Nicholls and Charles Broom 6-2, 7-6(3), rounding up a perfect score for their country.