Through 10 days, the United States has dominated the United Cup with 18 wins in 20 matches.

While Italy has lost five total, the team came on strong down the stretch, taking care of Greece handily in Saturday’s semifinals.

Both teams will tell you they’ve been bolstered by an undeniable chemistry.

Matteo Berrettini spoke of the bond after Italy advanced to the final, noting how important it is the team spends a lot of time off the court together.

Jessica Pegula shared similar sentiments: “I also think we have had a lot of fun. We have done a lot of team bonding.”

So which team will bond together better when Italy and the U.S. square off Sunday? We make the case for each group.  

Advantage, Team USA

The format of the United Cup meant each team entered the competition with varying strengths and weaknesses. Some are weighted toward their WTA sides, some toward the ATP. Some are strong at the top in both, but without the depth of other teams.

Team USA completes victory over Poland; into United Cup final

But from the get-go, the U.S. has covered all bases. Their WTA and ATP No.1s, Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz, are both Top 10 players and reigning 1000 champions. Their No.2s, Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe, are both solidly within the Top 20.

This has meant that throughout the week, there have been few rubbers in which the U.S. has been a strong underdog -- and if a rubber that's more of a toss-up on paper goes against them, they've been able to pull back a point immediately. Given the population, wealth and tennis tradition of the country, this across-the-board strength is little surprise.

Against Italy, it should play in their favor again. Fritz owns a 2-0 head-to-head lead over Matteo Berrettini, and while Tiafoe trails Lorenzo Musetti 2-1 (including qualifying and Challengers), all three of those matches have been tight three-setters.

Neither Pegula nor Keys have previous played their respective opponents, Martina Trevisan and Lucia Bronzetti. Although the Italian women's underdog heroics have thrilled the crowds this week, they have a significant gulf in terms of power and experience at the highest level to make up.

On top of that, having competed on the slick Sydney courts for over a week, Team USA is thoroughly acclimated to conditions that already favored their power games. Only the mixed doubles could be an Achilles' heel.

Even so, fielding Pegula and Fritz in every rubber has enabled the two top singles players to gel as a partnership and go unbeaten so far, while Italy has tried out three different combinations, with only two wins to show in four rubbers. -- Alex Macpherson

Advantage, Team Italy

On the surface, Alex, I can understand how you see this one going the Americans’ way. I know the bare numbers are working against the Italians. In terms of pure ranking, the U.S. average for their four singles players works out to 10.5, which is phenomenal, just outside the Top 10. Italy is at 30.

Bronzetti leads Italy into United Cup final

And yet … Team Italy has an undeniable fire about it. You can see it in their matches and hear it in their press conferences. Captain Vincenzo Santopadre has pulled this disparate group together and shaped a winner.

In tennis parlance, Team Italy is essentially a lucky loser, and that just might give them an edge here against the favored Americans. They lost a close one to Poland in the Brisbane City Final -- 3-2 in mixed doubles -- when Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz teamed up for the deciding point.

They didn’t know at the time if they’d be heading to Sydney. As it turned out, Italy made it by the narrowest of margins. On the strength of sets won percentage, they scraped past Croatia 21-12 to 21-13, .636 to .588.

They are playing with house money -- and the freedom that comes with it. They will come on the court and fight like the underdogs they are.

Yes, they had to travel to Sydney from Brisbane, while the United States squad had already spent a week and three ties in those comfortable surroundings. Yes, the Americans played the early matches Saturday, leaving the Italians to close out the evening session. No, I don’t think it matters with only one match left to play.

The head-to-heads are really a wash. Yes, Taylor Fritz has a 2-0 edge on Matteo Berrettini but those matches were fairly close. Lorenzo Musetti won the only ATP Tour match he played against Frances Tiafoe, but it ended in a third-set tiebreaker. There is no head-to-head history for either of the two women’s matches.

I’ve always had a soft spot for underdogs, and it’s no different here. Viva Italia! -- Greg Garber