Perth: Felix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Fernandez came up clutch when it mattered most Saturday as they teamed up to prevail over Croatia 2-1 in a Group A encounter in the United Cup here. In a winner-takes-all mixed doubles rubber, the Canadians defeated Ivan Dodig and Lucija Ciric Bagaric 6-3, 6-4 to seal a 2-1 triumph over Croatia. Auger-Aliassime and Fernandez were clinical throughout the 66-minute contest, during which they did not face a break point.
Borna Coric had earlier rallied from the brink of defeat against Auger-Aliassime to keep Croatia alive and send the tie to a live decider. After losing the opening eight games of the match, the 28-year-old dug deep for an epic 0-6, 6-4, 6-4 triumph, during which he won seven consecutive games of his own.
Auger-Aliassime had not competed since October through injury, but won 78 percent (25/32) of points in a near-flawless first set, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The former No. 6 in the ATP Rankings then had one foot in the locker room at 4-2 in the second set but blazed a mid-court forehand long at 15/30 on Coric’s serve. It turned out to be a pivotal moment, with Coric finding the energy to turn the match on its head.
Coric let slip the opportunity to serve out the match at 5-4 in the deciding set, but recovered to cross the line in two hours, and 19 minutes and improve to 3-1 in the pair’s ATP head-to-head series.
Fernandez earlier handed Donna Vekic her first career United Cup singles defeat, prevailing 6-4, 6-3 to give Canada an initial 1-0 lead in the tie.
Though Vekic, in her third tour for Croatia in the competition, was previously 5-0 in United Cup singles matches, she also had never faced a Top 20 opponent in United Cup to date. While Fernandez, Canada’s top player, is currently ranked No.31, the 2021 US Open finalist punched above her weight in 2024 and continued that in her season opener. Six of her 10 career Top 20 victories came last season, and she needed 1 hour and 26 minutes to add another win against that ranking group to her ledger against No.19 Vekic.
There was little to separate the two players in the opening set in RAC Arena, with neither player even facing a break point in the first nine games. But a forehand winner from Fernandez turned a 0-15 10th-game lead into a true opening, and a double fault by the Croatian gave the Canadian three chances for a one-set edge. Ultimately, she’d need four: After Vekic clawed back to deuce, and failed to convert a game point of her own, she double-faulted for a second time in the game to hand Fernandez the set.
Another double fault, Vekic’s sixth in the match, proved key in the decisive second-set break, with the Croat serving in the eighth game of set two. Having worked out of 0-40 in her previous service game, there was no such escape for Vekic the second time around. Following the double fault, two missed backhands gave Fernandez the break—and a love hold, punctuated with her fourth ace, sealed the win.
Canada will be back in action on Sunday night when they face a tricky test against the USA, led by Taylor Fritz and Coco Gauff.
(IANS)
