Lehecka claims Brisbane opener; Gauff stunned as US reach United Cup quarter-finals

Defending champion Jiri Lehecka outlasted fellow Czech Tomas Machac over three sets Monday to book his place in the second round of the season-opening Brisbane International.

Lehecka, the third seed, saw off his sometime training partner Machac 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 in almost two-and-a-half hours on Pat Rafter Arena.

The 24-year-old has won two tournaments in his career, both in Australia.

“The weather and the court conditions here are things that I look forward to,” he said. “There’s no better place to start the season than here.”

It was the Czech pair’s first meeting on tour, but Lehecka said he and Machac knew each other well.

Lehecka now plays American Sebastian Korda, who beat Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot 7-6 (7/1), 6-3.

Alex Michelsen survived a tough battle against Australian qualifier James Duckworth 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 and will next play fellow American Learner Tien.

In the women’s draw, qualifying lucky loser Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan beat American Hailey Baptiste 6-2, 6-4 to set up a second-round clash with Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.

Chinese qualifier Zhang Shuai, 36, turned back the clock when she beat Ashlyn Krueger of the US 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

She will now face former champion and world number five Elena Rybakina.

Meanwhile, world number four Coco Gauff suffered her first-ever defeat at the United Cup on Monday when she was stunned by Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 6-0 in a blow to her Australian Open preparations.

But after Taylor Fritz won to level the tie for the United States, Gauff made amends with Christian Harrison in the mixed doubles, beating Ivonne Cavalle-Reimers and Inigo Cervantes 7-6 (7/5), 6-0 to seal a quarter-final spot.

Gauff had won all six of her previous United Cup singles matches for the USA and had a 3-0 record in mixed doubles.

It was the first win over a top-five player for Bouzas Maneiro.

World number four Fritz, who is battling a knee problem, needed more than three hours to beat Jaume Munar 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 7-6 (8/6).

In Sydney, Germany’s world number three Alexander Zverev was also on the end of a shock United Cup result, beaten 6-3, 6-4 by Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, who had not played since June because of knee surgery.

Former world number six Hurkacz has tumbled to 83rd in the rankings but faced just one break point in his 83-minute victory.

Iga Swiatek will try to close out the tie for Poland against Eva Lys.

Earlier the Czech Republic knocked out Norway with a 3-0 win in Sydney. In the later match in Perth, Great Britain play Greece.

The Australian Open starts on January 18.

An emotional Daria Kasatkina says she feels the pressure of delivering success for her new country after playing in Australia for the first time since switching from Russia.

The 28-year-old changed allegiance to Australia last March having criticised Russia’s attitude towards people and described the war in Ukraine as a “nightmare”.

The former world number eight, now ranked 40, was almost in tears on Sunday before her first-round match in Brisbane after being given a warm reception by the home crowd.

Kasatkina lost in three sets to Anastasia Potapova, who herself gave up representing Russia last year and now plays for Austria.

“Honestly, when I was stepping on court with all the cheers and everything, I almost started crying,” said Kasatkina.

“But I was able to hold it. I wanted to win so much and feel this extra energy by the end of the match, but unfortunately it didn’t happen.”

Kasatkina was playing for the first time since ending her 2025 season early, having said in October that “mentally and emotionally I am at breaking point”.

Agencies