The US team beat Canada 2-1 in their first tie at the United Cup in Perth.
Gauff cruised past Leylah Fernandez 6-3 6-2 to give the US team a 1-0 win in the first singles match. Gauff played against Fernandez for the first time in her career.
After two long service games at the start of the match Gauff earned a break to take a 2-1 lead. When Gauff was serving at 3-2, Fernandez earned her first break points to level the set, but Gauff saved them to hold serve at deuce. Gauff sealed the first set 6-3 with a double break in the ninth game. Gauff won 92% of his first serve points. Gauff raced out to a 3-0 lead with a break in the second game. The US player held on her serve and sealed the second set with a double break in the eighth game. She dropped just four points on her first serve and saved the two points she faced.
Felix Auger Aliassime came back from one set down to beat Taylor Fritz 4-6 7-5 6-3 sending he match to the mixed doubles rubber.
Fritz won the first set in the men’s singles match against Auger Aliassime with a break in the first game and looked to complete the sweep win when he broke serve in the fifth game of the second set to take a 3-2 lead but he was not able to serve out the win while he was leading 6-3 5-3. Auger Aliassime broke back to draw level to 5-5. The Canadian player won his fourth consecutive game from 3-5 down with a second break to clinch the second set 7-5 forcing the match to the third set. Auger Aliassime earned the decisive break in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead and sealed the win on his third match point.
Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz teamed up to win the winner-takes-all mixed doubles match over Leylah Fernandez and Felix Auger Aliassime 7-6 (7-2) 7-5 to put the US team in pole position to reach the knock-out stage from Group A. Gauff and Fritz let slip a break in both sets but they recovered to clinch the win.
Gauff and Fritz broke serve in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead, but Fernandez and Auger Aliassime broke straight back to draw level to 4-4. Gauff and Fritz earned three mini-breaks to race out to a 5-1 lead. Fernandez and Auger Aliassime pulled one break back but Fritz and Gauff closed out the tie-break on the second set point.
Gauff and Fritz went up a break in the third game of the second set to take a 2-1 lead. Fernandez and Auger Aliassime broke straight back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Gauff and Fritz earned a second break in the 11th game and sealed the win on their first match point.
“I am really happy with how we played today in the mixed doubles. I felt we got better the longer the match went. We had a lot of chances and finally we were able to stick when it mattered”, said Gauff.
“After the way I lost my singles matchit would have been really tough to go home today with a mixed doubles loss today as well. Thank you Coco for carrying the team and we got it done”, said Fritz.
