In the course of 11 drama-filled days at the United Cup, across three Australian cities, 18 teams have been reduced to just two: the No.3-seeded United States and No.5 Italy.

Sunday’s final takes place at 1 p.m. (9 p.m. ET) in Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena.

The U.S. clinched first, uncertain if it would be facing Italy or Greece.

“I don’t really think it matters,” Captain David Witt said. “I think our players are pretty confident and excited to be in the final. We will just have to wait to see who we play, and then go out there and do it up.”

Both squads have been “doing it up” with remarkable consistency.

Earlier, the United States -- leading 2-0 after the first day -- swept its three matches to defeat Poland 5-0. Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys won their singles matches over Hubert Hurkacz and Magda Linette, respectively, and Fritz and Jessica Pegula won their mixed doubles match.

Team USA completes victory over Poland; into United Cup final

Later, Lucia Bronzetti clinched a 4-1 victory for Italy over Greece with a 6-2, 6-3 win against Valentini Grammatikopoulou. While Italy opened play Saturday with a Matteo Berrettini loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Italians closed it out, first with Bronzetti and then a mixed doubles win by Camilla Rosatello and Andrea Vavassori.

Bronzetti leads Italy into United Cup final

There is little history between these players on the U.S. and Italy. The two women’s matches are both first-time affairs. Meanwhile, Fritz holds a 2-0 advantage over Berrettini, at the 2019 Davis Cup finals and 2021 Indian Wells. Musetti defeated Tiafoe in their only meeting, two years ago in Acapulco, but it was decided by a third-set tiebreak.

Both teams have benefitted from elite singles play. The United States is 14-2, while Italy is 12-4.

Breaking it down individually, the Americans records: Frances Tiafoe 4-0, Madison Keys 4-0, Jessica Pegula 3-1 and Taylor Fritz 3-1.

The Italians: Lorenzo Musetti 4-0, Matteo Berrettini 3-1, Lucia Bronzetti 3-1 and Martina Trevisan 2-2.

Corbis/Corbis via Getty Image

If it comes down to the final match, mixed doubles, the United States has a clear advantage; Pegula and Fritz are a tidy 3-0. Italian Captain Vincenzo Santopadre has scheduled Berrettini and Trevisan. Berretini lost his only mixed doubles match and Trevisan has yet to play.

According to Berrettini, Team Italy is feeling the spirit of those vintage championship Billie Jean King Cup teams that featured Francesca Schiavone, Flavia Pennetta, Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani. From 2006-13, they won four titles.

“They were great inspirations for all of us,” Berrettini said. “I believe they were great. I think when you play team competition, it’s important to create a group off court and then you can perform better on court. That’s what we did from the very first moment.

“We immediately created this group chat and started talking about when we will get here and we kind of celebrated Christmas on the flights together. We started to hang out together and create this bond that is really important.”

The Americans, too, have bonded.

“I didn’t know how locked everybody was,” Tiafoe said. “He’s locked. It’s just crazy.”

Sunday, Jan. 8

Ken Rosewall Arena, 1 p.m.

Jessica Pegula (USA) vs. Martina Trevisan (ITA)

Head-to-head: 0-0

Frances Tiafoe (USA) vs. Lorenzo Musetti (ITA)

Head-to-head:  Musetti, 1-0

5:30 p.m.

Taylor Fritz (USA) vs. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 

Head-to-head: Fritz, 2-0

Madison Keys (USA) vs. Lucia Bronzetti (ITA) 

Head-to-head: 0-0

Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz (USA) vs. Martina Trevisan and Matteo Berrettini