Petra Martic notched a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 defeat of Nadia Podoroska on Sunday to give Croatia an unassailable 3-0 lead over Argentina at the United Cup in Perth. The winner of Group F will be decided over the next two days in the third and final tie, as Croatia return to take on France.

In Martic’s only previous encounter with Podoroska, she had emerged a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 winner in the third round of Rome 2021. Once again, she was able to triumph in three sets, losing the tightest but running away with the other two.

This time, Podoroska roared out of the blocks. The former WTA No.36 dazzled in the opening three games, breaking Martic straight away with a perfect lob and coming up with crowd-pleasing volley and dropshot winners.

But Martic responded with aggression of her own, and Podoroska proved unable to sustain her high level. The Croatian reeled off seven straight games, breaking for 4-2 as Podoroska served consecutive double faults and sealing the set with an exquisitely weighted drop shot of her own.

Both players settled into a groove on serve in the second set: the first eight games saw just one break point between them, quickly snuffed out by Podoroska with a service winner. At 4-4, though, Martic blinked first. A dip in energy and execution saw her quickly lose the last two games of the set with a series of cheap errors, then go down a break at the start of the second set.

Encouraged by captain Iva Majoli and coach Michael Geserer, Martic gathered herself to reprise the arc of the first set. Having backed off her aggressive tactics, she upped the ante on serve and resumed her net-rushing approach in the decider, and was rewarded with another six-game streak to seal victory.

Paula Badosa engineered a remarkable comeback to defeat Harriet Dart 6-7(6), 7-6(5), 6-1 to earn Spain’s first match-win at the United Cup. Playing her first match of the season, Badosa fought off leg cramps to reel in Dart and keep Spain in the tie on Sunday in Sydney.

Great Britain now leads Spain 2-1. The task now falls to Daniel Evans to try and clinch the win and seal a spot at the top of the Group D table. Evans will face Albert Ramos Vinolas in the second men’s singles match.

“I don’t know what happened at the second set, I started a little bit to cramp,” Badosa said. “It was high intensity, first match of the year, I was nervous. But I could adapt myself. I started to play a little bit more aggressive. I’m very happy with the fight tonight because I played and fought until the last moment.”

Badosa went into the match looking for her first win over Dart. The 98th-ranked Brit handed Badosa her last loss of the 2022 season at the Billie Jean King Cup, winning 6-3, 6-4 in November. As luck would have it, Badosa drew Dart again for her first match of the 2023 season. After Great Britain swept Spain on Day 3 to build a 2-0 lead, Badosa was faced with the added pressure of winning a must-win match for Spain.

Dart came through a 77-minute opening set to hold off a furious comeback from the Spaniard, saving two set points along the way. With Badosa struggling with her rhythm on serve, Dart opened up a 5-2 lead before the former World No. 2 dialed in. Badosa ran off four consecutive games and earned two set points on Dart’s serve at 6-5, but a brave cross-court forehand from Dart kept her in the set.

But the grueling first set and humid conditions took its toll on Badosa in the second set. After building a 3-1 lead, she began to cramp in her legs. Dart took advantage, clawing her way back on serve before Badosa began to rebound physically.

With the help of some pickle juice provided by the trainer, Badosa began to recover and her serving woes dissipated. Badosa powered through the second-set tiebreak, building a 5-0 lead and holding off a comeback from Dart to seal set with a roar.

With the momentum firmly on her side, Badosa dominated the final set, saving her best tennis for last. Badosa hit just three unforced errors in the final set, playing at the level that won her the Sydney title on this very court, to race away with the win after 3 hours and four minutes of play.

Elise Mertens kicked off 2023 by giving Belgium a 2-1 lead over Bulgaria at the United Cup in Perth, though her 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 win over substitute Gergana Topalova wasn’t all smooth sailing.

No.323-ranked Topalova was a last-minute replacement for Bulgaria’s top WTA player, Viktoriya Tomova, who sustained a left calf injury in her Day 2 loss to Maria Sakkari. The 22-year-old was making her tour-level debut; indeed, she had never even played a WTA qualifying draw before, nor had she faced an opponent ranked higher than No.130.

However, Topalova had improved her year-end ranking from No.512 to No.308 over the course of 2022, and demonstrated why in an impressive performance against Mertens. She nailed a backhand winner on the second point of the match, and that shot would prove an impressive weapon across the one-hour, 55-minute contest.

Nonetheless, WTA Finals doubles champion Mertens’ experience and all-court prowess kept her in front. The Belgian won 16 out of 22 points at net, and racked up 22 winners in total. However, her service level fluctuated somewhat; Mertens accumulated eight double faults, repeatedly beckoning Topalova back into the match.

But No.29-ranked Mertens was able to withstand her opponent’s comeback attempts each time. She was twice up a break in the first set, but after being pegged back to 4-4 found her best returns and serves to take the last two games. And after Topalova came from 2-0 down in the second set to level the match, Mertens responded with a dominant third set in which she only conceded three points on serve.

Belgium are now one win from victory with two rubbers to go. ATP No.129 Zizou Bergs has the opportunity to seal the tie against Bulgaria’s Dimitar Kuzmanov in the next match on RAC Arena, but the potential for the first mixed doubles deciding rubber remains alive.

Norway began Sunday in a deep hole against Brazil trailing 0-2 in their United Cup tie, but World No. 3 Casper Ruud kept his country’s hopes alive.

In the first men’s singles match of the new year, Ruud defeated Brazilian Thiago Monteiro 6-3, 6-2 to narrow the deficit to 1-2 in the tie. Ulrikke Eikeri will try to level the tie in the No. 2 women’s singles match when she faces Laura Pigossi. Norway must sweep Sunday’s three matches to complete the comeback.

“It was a must-win, so I was maybe feeling the pressure a little bit, but I was able to come out with a good start and starting the new year in tennis down in Australia feels great. It’s always exciting to be here. My first time in Brisbane, so it’s been a great few days so far. I’m really enjoying the city and thanks to everyone who came out first day of the year to watch some tennis.”

Ruud picked up where he left off in a standout 2022 season, during which he climbed as high as No. 2 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and advanced to the championship match of the Nitto ATP Finals. Despite a slight hiccup when he fell behind 0-2 in the second set, the Norwegian stormed through the final six games of the match to triumph after 72 minutes.

“I always feel very motivated coming down here playing in Australia. Last year was a bit unfortunate. I was not able to play in the Australian Open. I rolled my ankle the day before my first round, so I’m very eager to hopefully have a good start of the season down here and this is a perfect way for me to start another year on Tour.”

Monteiro’s forehand was his undoing in the early going, as a slew of unforced errors allowed Ruud to find his comfort zone inside Pat Rafter Arena.

Although Ruud pushed a forehand long to fall behind a break in the second set, he never panicked, nor did he appear in trouble. The 24-year-old converted five of his six break point chances to take a 3-0 ATP Head2Head lead against Monteiro. He has not lost a set in any of those matches.

World No. 16 Petra Kvitova came through once again for Team Czech Republic, defeating Laura Siegemund 6-4, 6-2 for her second win at the United Cup on Sunday. The victory gave the Czech Republic an insurmountable 3-0 lead over Team Germany, sealing the tie for the Czechs in Sydney.

Kvitova has come through two physical wins this week in Sydney. Her opening victory over World No. 3 Jessica Pegula, a tight 7-6(6), 6-4 win, was a big confidence boost for the former World No. 2, who saved seven set points in the first set to win in two.

That same resilience was on display against Siegemund. The scoreline betrays how tough the German made Kvitova work for the win. Siegemund generated 11 break points in the match – two more than Kvitova – but the Czech came through in the clutch. Despite 10 double faults on the day, Kvitova saved nine of 11 break points, while breaking Siegemund four times.

Germany’s Oscar Otte then earned his nation its first win at the event when he downed Dalibor Svrcina 7-6(1), 6-2 in the No. 2 men’s singles match of the Group C tie. Svrcina replaced Czech’s No. 2 men’s player, Tomas Machac, who injured his ankle in his opening match against Frances Tiafoe.

Otte, who rallied from a double break down in the first set, is currently No. 76 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings having reached a career-high No. 36 in June. A mixed doubles match will round off the Group C tie between Czech Republic and Germany in Sydney.

The United Cup is a new mixed-teams event featuring 18 countries across Brisbane, Perth and Sydney. Played over two days, ties will be comprised of two ATP and two WTA singles matches and one mixed-doubles match.

From tropical islands, to remote settings, to the world’s largest cities, the ATP Challenger Tour knows no bounds as the 46th Challenger season is set to get underway this week.

The season will unfold with five tournaments, including in New Caledonia, Australia, Thailand, Argentina, and Portugal. Across several time zones, you could open the new year by watching live Challenger matches for 24 hours non stop.

One event to keep your eyes on will be the season-opening Noumea Challenger. A short walk from the Coral Sea, Noumea is a piece of tennis paradise with breathtaking views. The French territory located in the south Pacific will host a Challenger event for the 17th year and for the first time since January 2020. 

Ligue de Tennis de Nouvelle-Calédonie, host site of the Noumea Challenger. Credit: Open SIFA Nouvelle-Calédonie

Cristian Garin, Hugo Grenier, Zsombor Piros, and Benoit Paire are among those who will compete at the Noumea Challenger.

In Canberra, Australia, the Italian youngsters Matteo Arnaldi, Francesco Passaro, and Luca Nardi aim to start the season on a strong note. Marton Fucsovics, Hugo Gaston, and Luca Van Assche are also in the Canberra field.

Also featured on the early-season schedule is the Spanish island Tenerife, which will host three Challenger events in the first six weeks, including a Challenger 100 event starting 16 January.

Challenger events are divided into five categories: Challenger 50, 75, 100, 125, and the new premium 175 tournaments. After not holding a Challenger for six years, Belgium will once again attract tennis fans for the Challenger 125 BW Open, set to begin 24 January.

Next month, the indoor hard court event in Cherbourg, France will celebrate its 30th anniversary. The Challenger 75 event is one of the five longest-running events in Europe (Istanbul, Segovia, Sevilla and Tampere). Past champions in Cherbourg include former World No. 4 Sebastian Grosjean (1999) and 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov (2011).

Several tournaments will mark their first edition in the early part of the season, such as the Piracicaba, Brazil Challenger and the indoor hard court event in Rovereto, Italy.

The United States will host a trio of hard court events spanning across January and February: Cleveland, Rome (Georgia), and a debut tournament in Waco, Texas.

In February, the Challenger Tour will return to Vilnius, Lithuania. The host venue, the SEB arena, provides world-class facilities and is the largest indoor tennis complex in central Europe. After making their debut in October, the Lithuanian capital city is prepared for another great tournament.

Other countries featured on the Challenger schedule over the next eight weeks include India, Argentina, Mexico, Germany, Chile, and Bahrain.

A projected 195 events will be played on the Challenger Tour this season, which would pass the record 184 tournaments played in 2022. As the players earn frequent flier miles, ranking points, and prize money, you can sit in the comfort of your home and watch the 2023 Challenger season for free on Challenger TV. And perhaps visit a tournament if there is a Challenger in your neck of the woods.

Casper Ruud’s Australian swing was cut short one year ago as an ankle injury forced his withdrawal from the Australian Open after two ATP Cup wins. The Norwegian will once again begin his season by representing his country Down Under, this time at the inaugural United Cup.

The World No. 3 will need a strong start on Sunday if he is to keep Team Norway alive in its Group E matchup with Brazil. Ruud faces Thiago Monteiro in Brisbane as he looks to earn his nation its first match win of the event and cut into Brazil’s 2-0 lead. Norway requires a Sunday sweep on New Year’s Day to win the tie, with Ulrikke Eikeri set to meet Brazil’s Laura Pigossi in the second singles match, before what Norway hopes will be a decisive mixed-doubles finale.

With the unique, all-inclusive format of the United Cup, even the presence of a 22-time Grand Slam champion is no guarantee of success for Team Spain.

When Rafael Nadal fell on Saturday to Cameron Norrie 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, and compatriot Nuria Parrizas Diaz lost to Katie Swan, Great Britain took a daunting 2-0 lead. And yet, there are reasons to think this one might not be over. Two reasons: Paula Badosa and Pablo Carreno Busta, who will carry the flag for Spain.

A pair of lucky No. 13s in the rankings, Badosa meets Harriet Dart, and Carreno Busta faces Daniel Evans as they try to get Spain back on track Sunday in Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena.

Badosa has more motivation for her first United Cup match than most. Her opponent, Dart, upset her 6-3, 6-4 back in November at the Billie Jean King Cup in Glasgow. “I have another opportunity again to play against [Dart],” Badosa said in a recent press conference. “Great Britain is always a tough tie. I’m preparing for that match, focussed on that. Let’s see how it goes.”

Last April, Badosa rose to a career-high of World No. 2. She won Indian Wells in 2021 and also reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros that season. Carreno Busta has also cracked the Top 10, in 2017, and was the champion in Montreal last year. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (played in 2021), he beat then-World No.1 Novak Djokovic and then-No. 2 Daniil Medvedev on the way to the bronze medal.

Carreno Busta was asked about Spain’s prospects in Group D, which features Great Britain and Spain’s next opponent, Australia.

“It’s the first tournament of the year,” he said, “so we need to improve our level. It’s always difficult to start the year. We need the rhythm. But we are a very good team. We have Rafa, we have Paula. We are ready to fight to win the group and we’ll see.”

Despite the deficit he and his team face, Nadal, ranked No. 2 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, is enthusiastically embracing the United Cup format.

“We are used to playing Davis Cup or [Billie Jean King] Cup,” he said before the tournament. “It’s nothing 100 per cent new, but at the same time it’s the first time that we share forces between men and women. It’s a different story for us. It’s going to be exciting.

“I think we can create a good team atmosphere… We know we have a very tough group.”

In a deadlocked Group B tie between Poland and Kazakhstan, Hubert Hurkacz and Alexander Bublik are set to square off in both singles and mixed doubles, with WTA No. 1 Iga Swiatek pencilled in as Hurkacz’s doubles partner in Brisbane.

Full Group Standings

What’s on the line on Day 4
Follow links for Saturday match reports

Group A: Belgium and Bulgaria are tied 1-1. Greece is off until Day 5.

Group B: Poland and Kazakhstan are tied 1-1. Switzerland is off until Day 5.

Group C: The Czech Republic leads Germany 2-0. The United States is off until Day 5.

Group D: Great Britain leads Spain 2-0. Australia is off until Day 5.

Group E: Brazil leads Norway 2-0. Italy is off until Day 5.

Group F: Croatia leads Argentina 2-0. France is off until Day 5.

United Cup: Day 4 order of play (local time)

Sydney, Ken Rosewall Arena

Germany vs. Czech Republic (0-2) (Group C)
Laura Siegemund (GER) vs. Petra Kvitova (CZE), 10 a.m.
Oscar Otte (GER) vs. Dalibor Svrcina (CZE), to follow
Julia Lohoff and Fabian Fallert (GER) vs. Jesika Maleckova and Dalibor Svrcina(CZE), to follow

Spain vs. Great Britain (2-0) (Group D)
Paula Badosa (ESP) vs. Harriet Dart (GBR), 5:30 p.m.
Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) vs. Daniel Evans (GBR), to follow
Paula Badosa and Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Harriet Dart and Daniel Evans (GBR), to follow

Perth, RAC Arena

Belgium vs. Bulgaria (1-1) (Group A)
Elise Mertens (BEL) vs. Viktoriya Tomova (BUL), 10 a.m.
Zizou Bergs (BEL) vs. Dimitar Kuzmanov (BUL),  to follow
Elise Mertens and David Goffin (BEL) vs. Viktoriya Tomova and Grigor Dimitrov (BUL), to follow

Croatia vs. Argentina (2-0) (Group F)
Petra Martic (CRO) vs. Nadia Podoroska (ARG), 5:30 p.m.
Borna Gojo (CRO) vs. Federico Coria (ARG), to follow
Donna Vekic and Borna Coric (CRO) vs. Nadia Podoroska and Francisco Cerundolo (ARG), to follow

Brisbane, Pat Rafter Arena

Brazil (2-0) vs. Norway (Group E)
Thiago Monteiro (BRA) vs. Casper Ruud (NOR), 10 am.
Laura Pigossi (BRA) vs. Ulrikke Eikeri (NOR), to follow
Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos (BRA) vs. Ulrikke Eikeir and Viktor Durasovic (NOR), to follow

Poland vs. Kazakhstan (1-1) (Group B)
Hubert Hurkacz (POL) vs. Alexander Bublik (KAZ), 5:30 p.m.
Magda Linette (POL) vs. Zhibek Kulambayeva (KAZ), to follow
Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz (POL) vs. Zhibek Kulambayeva and Alexander Bublik (KAZ), to follow

With the United Cup underway in Australia, two ATP Tour events will follow as the 2023 season opens in style across two continents. A pair of ATP 250 events are set to begin during the first week of the new year: the Adelaide International I and the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune.

Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev are among four 2022 Nitto ATP Finals participants in the loaded Adelaide singles draw, while Marin Cilic leads the field in Pune.

ATPTour.com looks ahead at 10 things to watch this week.

View Draws: Adelaide | Pune

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN ADELAIDE:
1) Top Seed Djokovic Returns To Australia: Back in action Down Under for the first time since he won the 2021 Australian Open, the World No. 5 leads the field in Adelaide, where he won his third ATP Tour title in 2007. The Serbian finished the 2022 season by winning a record-tying sixth Nitto ATP Finals crown, and lifted the title in four of his past five ATP Tour tournaments dating back to Wimbledon.

Djokovic has a big opportunity to rise up the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in the coming months, having played just one tour-level event in the first quarter of 2022. He enters this season with 4,820 Pepperstone ATP Rankings points, exactly 2,000 points shy of World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

2) Can Medvedev Reach The Summit Again?: After reaching the pinnacle of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in February 2022, Medvedev finished the season with two tour-level titles — but it was not enough to maintain his position as World No. 1, which he lost after failing to defend his US Open title. 

Entering this season as World No. 7, Medvedev is making his Adelaide debut. He will look to get off to a strong start this year after finishing 2022 on a four-match losing streak — though that run came after he lifted the title in Vienna and included three Top 10 defeats in Turin, all in third-set tie-breaks.

3) More Turin Stars: Felix Auger-Aliassime, Andrey Rublev and alternate Holger Rune complete Adelaide’s list of players who were involved at the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals. Auger-Aliassime followed up his Turin debut by helping lead Canada to the Davis Cup title in November as he finished the season with 60 match wins.

Rublev reached the Turin semi-finals for the first time in his third try while Rune completed a stunning rise into the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings by beating five straight Top 10 opponents to win the Rolex Paris Masters title in his last action of 2022. Rune, the 19-year-old Dane, will be motivated to climb back into the that prestigious group after ending the season at World No. 11.

4) Former Next Gen Champs Sinner, Nakashima Feature: 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals champ Jannik Sinner and 2022 winner Brandon Nakashima are also in the Adelaide field, with both making their tournament debuts. The 21-year-old Sinner, who enters the season as World No. 15, will seek to improve upon his career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking of No. 9, first achieved in 2021. The Italian is seeking his second tour-level title in Australia after his Melbourne 1 triumph in 2021.

5) Britons Murray, Draper In Action: Two men at opposite ends of their careers will nonetheless have similar goals for this season, as both enter inside the Top 50. Murray is eager to take advantage of his clean bill of health and brings an improved fitness level into 2023, while Draper will bid to crack the Top 40 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time. The 21-year-old is currently one spot off his career-high of No. 41.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN PUNE:

1) Former Champ Cilic: Marin Cilic seeks his third title at the Indian event after back-to-back triumphs in 2009-10, when the tournament was held in Chennai. A final victory against Stan Wawrinka completed his successful title defence 13 years ago. The Croatian will be making his seventh appearance at the ATP 250, his most recent a semi-final showing in 2018.

2) Returning Finalist Ruusuvuori: Emil Ruusuvuori will be confident in his ability to improve upon his final run last year in Pune as he enters this year’s event at a career-high of No. 40 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. If he can accomplish that feat, the 23-year-old Finn would earn his first ATP Tour title.

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3) Botic Debuts: World No. 35 Botic van de Zandschulp makes his first appearance in Pune after a 2022 season which saw him reach three ATP Tour semi-finals as well as his first tour-level final in Munich. As the second-highest-ranked player in Pune’s initial entry list, the 27-year-old Dutchman joins Ruusuvuori in pursuit of a first ATP Tour title.

4) Top 50 Talent: Sebastian Baez and Alex Molcan round out the Top 50 representation in Pune, with World No. 59 Aslan Karatsev and 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals competitor Chun-Hsin Tseng also set to compete.

They are joined by three Indian wild cards, including 15-year-old Manas Dhamne, who will be making his tour-level debut.

5) Van Rijthoven Looks To Build: Dutchman Tim van Rijthoven, who won his first ATP Tour title last season in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and followed it with a run to the Wimbledon fourth round, will look to back up his breakthrough season with more success in the new year. After having to qualify for his past two ATP Tour main-draw appearances, the World No. 114 was the second-to-last man to make the cut on the initial main-draw entry list for Pune, just ahead of World No. 115 American Michael Mmoh.