Harriet Dart defeated Maddison Inglis 6-4, 6-4 to seal a win for Great Britain over Australia at the United Cup. Team GB will move to the top of Group D and prepare to face Spain next.
Great Britain came into Day 2 with a 2-0 lead over the host nation after Cameron Norrie and Katie Swan posted straight-set wins on Day 1. Ranked No. 98 and playing in the No. 1 position for Great Britain, Dart seized her chance to clinch the tie by winning the coveted third point to build an unassailable 3-0 lead.
“Maddy played really great tennis today and I had to work for it,” Dart said. “First match of the year, I was really nervous, but the crowd were great.”
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World No. 180 Inglis was a late substitution in singles after Australian No.1 Ajla Tomljanovic withdrew from the match due to a left knee injury. With Captain Sam Stosur urging her on, the 24-year-old from Perth acquitted herself well and, after a slow start, consistently challenged Dart from the baseline.
But Dart held her ground with clutch serving and a devastating day on her forehand. The 26-year-old Brit won 83% of her first serve points and was broken just once in the match. On her first match point, Dart fired her fifth ace of the match to take it after 92 minutes.
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In the next match, Jason Kubler brought joy to Australian fans when he staged a remarkable second-set comeback to upset World No. 27 Daniel Evans 6-3, 7-6(3), earning his nation its first win at the mixed-teams event.
In front of a raucous crowd on Ken Rosewall Arena, Kubler stole the show, showcasing an abundance of quality and grit to fight past Evans in one hour and 51 minutes. The World No. 107 fired 11 aces and rallied from 0-5 in the second set, saving one set point at 4-5, before eventually sealing his victory in the tie-break.
“It was crazy,” Kubler said when asked about the atmosphere. “The first set I was trying to get the [fans] involved because I thought it would definitely help me. Just with the way the second set started I couldn’t really find too many opportunities for them to get involved.
“On the comeback, they really helped me. It was a big reason I was able to come back. When you’re playing tournaments by yourself and you don’t have the crowd, it’s very tough in those moments to come back. Then tonight all credit to them. They really helped me get over the line.”
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Kubler enjoyed some standout moments in 2022, reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon, while he earned his first Top 10 win against Felix Auger-Aliassime en route to his maiden tour-level semi-final in Newport.
After Kubler’s heroics, Australia’s vice-captain Sam Stosur reunited with her Olympic mixed doubles partner John Peers to finish on a winning note, defeating Harriet Dart and Jonny O’Mara, 7-6(4), 6-4 to give the home nation two points in the tie.