United Cup Day 4 preview: Poland, USA look to clinch quarterfinal spots

The first day of this new year features the last two players standing at the WTA Finals in Cancun, Top 5 players both.

The winner of the 2022 WTA Finals in Fort Worth is also in action, looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 season -- against a three-time Grand Slam champion who didn’t play a single match last year.

Monday’s loaded United Cup schedule is almost too much to bear -- but we’ll do our best to take it all in.

Seeking a reset in Sydney

Caroline Garcia was a revelation at the end of 2022.

She defeated Aryna Sabalenka in a stirring Fort Worth final and finished the year ranked No.4. That matched her career high, achieved four years earlier. There were four titles, her first in three years, and a major breakthrough, her first Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open.

Last year, Garcia’s daring, aggressive game produced 40 victories -- but zero titles and her ranking dropped to No.20. Why was it so difficult to maintain her dazzling level?

“It’s a good question,” Garcia told WTAtennis.com. “It’s so many little things that make a difference at the end. Obviously, it’s easier to go to the top than maintain. I got some expectations -- I wanted to do more and more, and sometimes it was like 'more and more' is not the best way to think.

“With my game style, I can get tense and not go 100 percent. I start to make mistakes, move not as well. I lost at the beginning of the year and that hurt my confidence. Yeah, it was a tricky season for sure.”

Her first match of 2024 in Sydney offers a glorious bounce-back opportunity -- Angelique Kerber plays her second match after an 18-month leave of absence to give birth to her first child. The first went to Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, 6-4, 7-5, but Kerber and Alexander Zverev won the mixed doubles match to give Germany a 2-1 victory.

New mom Kerber taking a more relaxed approach in tennis comeback

Kerber leads the head-to-head 6-3, but Garcia won their only match in the last five years, in 2021 at Dubai.

“Angelique has had an amazing career and it’s really great to see her back on tour,” Garcia said. “I know I have the weapons to give her problems on court, but she has definitely weapons to put me in trouble because of her movement and change of direction.”

In Group F, it’s Croatia versus Norway, with Donna Vekic taking on Malene Helgo. They have never played.

Play begins at 10:30 a.m.

Group F: Croatia (0-0) vs. Norway (0-1)

Donna Vekic vs. Malene Helgo
Borna Coric vs. Casper Ruud
Followed by mixed doubles

Group D: France (0-0) vs. Germany (1-0)

Adrian Mannarino vs. Alexander Zverev
Caroline Garcia vs. Angelique Kerber 
Followed by mixed doubles

Swiatek and Pegula look to advance in Perth

Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo lost to Beatriz Haddad Maia in the opening United Cup match, but came back to take the tie from Brazil, partnering with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to defeat Haddad Maia and Marcelo Melo in mixed doubles.

Next up, the greatest challenge in women’s tennis -- World No.1 Iga Swiatek. Swiatek has won both their previous matches, last year at Wimbledon and Beijing, in straight sets. In four sets, Sorribes Tormo has won more than three games just once.

“I’m going to say something I don’t know if I have to say, but she’s the best -- that’s what I think,” Sorribes Tormo said. “I think she’s doing all the things right. She's a player that I really look at, how she does many, many things.

Isn't that a little bit too much deference? The Spaniard doesn't think so. Respecting your opponent means being ready for anything.

"I played Barty two years ago, which for me was the real best before Iga," Sorribes said, "and I remember when I was warming up with her just looking at her, like, 'Oh, my God, how good are you doing that?' At the end of the day, I beat her. So I don't think it's impossible. Of course I don't think that.

"You respect her and you know she's going to do the good things and that makes you have a better mentality because you're not going to get mad if you're not winning the points, because you know she's doing it better. If you take it that way, for me, it's positive."

The night session in Perth features No.5 Jessica Pegula opposite Ajla Tomljanovic, who continues her comeback from injury. Surprisingly, Tomljanovic leads the head-to-head, but they haven’t played a match in more than a dozen years.

Pegula is looking to bounce back from a tight three-set loss to Katie Boulter in her opener. 

Play begins at 10:00 a.m.

Group A: Poland (1-0) vs. Spain (1-0)

Hubert Hurkacz vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Iga Swiatek vs. Sara Sorribes Tormo
Followed by mixed doubles

Group C: USA (1-0) vs. Australia (0-1)

Taylor Fritz vs. Alex de Minaur 
Jessica Pegula vs. Ajla Tomljanovic
Followed by mixed doubles

Elsewhere: Osaka and Anisimova make their returns

Six of the WTA Tour’s Top 20 players -- and seven former Grand Slam singles champions -- are in the field at the Brisbane International, which got underway on Sunday. Four-time major champion Naomi Osaka returns from a pregnancy leave Monday for an anticipated match against Tamara Korpastsch in Pat Rafter Arena. The winner will play three-time Brisbane champion Karolina Pliskova.

No more headphones: Osaka letting her guard down in Brisbane

The ASB Classic in Auckland begins main-draw play on Monday, with No.4 seed Emma Navarro taking on rising teenager Linda Fruhvirtova, No.5 Marie Bouzkova versus Magdalena Frech and wild card Amanda Anisimova opposite Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

How art helped Anisimova recover from burnout