SYDNEY, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Women's world number two Iga Swiatek swept aside teenager Maya Joint in Sydney on Friday to help Poland overcome host Australia 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the mixed-teams United Cup.
Australian had drew level after Alex de Minaur beat Hubert Hurkacz in a thrilling three-set men's singles match, Jan Zielinski and Katarzyna Kawa thrashed John-Patrick Smith and Storm Hunter 6-4, 6-0 in the decisive mixed doubles.
Poland, runners-up in the past two editions, will meet defending champions United States in the semifinals on Saturday.
Swiatek, a sixth-time grand slam champion, quietened a partisan crowd at Ken Rosewall Arena to continue an impressive start to the season with a third straight win after an effortless 6-1, 6-1 victory in 58 minutes.
The 24-year-old blew her talented but inexperienced opponent off the court although she appeared to burst into tears. Swiatek, however, was unruffled and overwhelmed the world No. 32 to move Poland a step closer to the semifinals.
"The balls get quite heavy so I'm happy that I was always pushing forward," said Swiatek, who will be among the favourites as she seeks an elusive Australian Open title.
"I got pretty confident at the end, so for sure it was a good match," she said.
The pressure was on hometown hero De Minaur, who overcame struggles with serve to edge Hurkacz 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in a nerve-jangling match that left fans on the edge of their seats.
Delicately poised at a set apiece, De Minaur lifted his level and made just two unforced errors in an almost flawless third set.
A pumped-up De Minaur, the world No. 6, was emotional after rifling a backhand past Hurkacz at the net to force a deciding mixed doubles.
Even though he fell short, Hurkacz continued his impressive comeback after being sidelined for seven months following knee surgery.
The former top-10 player made a big statement earlier in the week with a huge upset over No. 3 Alexander Zverev.
"I'm glad to see him healthy, but I just had to fight him off from the first point to the last," said De Minaur, who aims to become the country's first men's champion at the Australian Open since Mark Edmondson in 1976.
"A huge mental effort and I love playing here," he said.
Switzerland and Belgium will kick off semifinal action in the early tie in Sydney on Saturday. ■
