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Jessica Pegula and Frances Tiafoe have put the US on the verge of claiming the inaugural United Cup trophy.
Pegula gave her nation a very good begin in opposition to Italy with a straight-sets victory in opposition to Martina Trevisan. Tiafoe then surged by the primary set in opposition to Lorenzo Musetti when the Italian retired resulting from a proper shoulder damage.
Regardless of the straight-sets scoreline, the No. 1 ladies’s singles contest was removed from simple for the WTA World No. 3. Trevisan got here out firing with an ultra-aggressive technique, and remained dedicated to front-foot tennis all through.
Pegula, usually a wonderful proponent of those ways herself, was pressured onto the again foot greater than common. Although the American led 3-0 after which 4-2 within the first set, Trevisan managed to stage at 4-4 after developing with a collection of fizzing forehands.
Mockingly after this sample, the set turned on a uncommon shot that Trevisan backed off. Serving at 4-5, 30/30, a tentative drive volley allowed Pegula to crunch a forehand of her personal to succeed in set level. The American promptly transformed it with an excellent backhand winner down the road.
Picture Credit score: Brendon Thorne/Getty Photos
Pegula settled within the second set, decreasing her unforced error tally from 17 to seven whereas eliciting errors from Trevisan with canny courtroom craft. Trevisan’s do-or-die strategy finally did not repay because the WTA World No. 27 racked up 31 unforced errors in opposition to 14 winners.
Trevisan went down swinging, discovering one other sequence of crowd-pleasing winners to chop Pegula’s 5-0 result in 5-2. However Pegula remained strong to shut out the second set in an equivalent method to the primary: with a pinpoint backhand down the road.
Tiafoe picked up the place Pegula left off, breaking Musetti’s serve early and cruising by the opener 6-2, saving all three break factors he confronted. The Italian more and more touched his proper shoulder because the set wore on earlier than receiving therapy from a physio throughout a changeover. On the finish of the set, Musetti shook fingers with Tiafoe and retired.
Play will then proceed within the night session, when Taylor Fritz could have a possibility to seal the tie for the US in opposition to Matteo Berrettini within the No. 1 males’s singles match. If reigning BNP Paribas Open champion Fritz is unable to triumph, Madison Keys could have a possibility to clinch the trophy in opposition to Lucia Bronzetti within the No. 2 ladies’s singles conflict.
If the Italians make an enormous comeback, the fifth match of the tie will probably be a deciding combined doubles.
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