Game preview
De Minaur tested by Hulkac in Manchester United Cup qualifiers
Australia face two-time defending finalists Poland in Sydney on Friday
January 8, 2026
Tennis Australia
Alex de Minaur holds a 2-1 lead over Hubert Hurkacz in the Lexus ATP Head2Head Series.
Jerome Coombe
Will Alex de Minaur be the next player to fall into Hubert Huckach’s Fed Cup serving attack when the pair meet in Sydney on Friday?
The 28-year-old Pole returned from a seven-month injury layoff, blasting 21 aces in each set over world number three Alexander Zverev and Talon Grikspoor. Backed by teammate Iga Swiatek – who also won both singles matches – two-time defending runner-up Poland has reached its third consecutive quarter-finals.
Standing in their way are home favorites Australia, led by De Minaur and 19-year-old rising star Maia United. The women’s singles match will start at 5:30 pm local time.
De Minaur can take confidence from his 2-1 Lexus ATP Head2Head victory over Hurkacz, including a win in their most recent meeting at Indian Wells last year. Hurkacs has since had knee surgery and enters the tournament ranked 85th in the PIF ATP Rankings, but his performance in Sydney highlighted why he is a top-10 player.
After reaching the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals in November, De Minaur began his 2026 campaign with a straight-sets loss to Kaspar Ruud. However, he rebounded quickly against the Czech Republic, both helping Australia reach the quarter-finals. Hurkacs is clearly aware of the challenges ahead.
“Alex has had a very successful run over the last few years,” Hecatz said of de Minaur, who is a career-high ranked No. 6 in the world. “He’s very fast and moves the court really well. It’s going to be a good challenge, especially for the Australian crowd. It’s going to be very interesting and I’m excited for the match.”
Ace machine😮💨
Of course Hubi got our @Nexo # Same day service!#nexo pic.twitter.com/8tQYNUTm1d
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 7, 2026
Swiatek needed just 66 minutes to defeat United in their last match in Seoul last September, but the six-time Grand Slam champion is not taking anything for granted. While the Australian teenager will have strong support at home, Swiatek may have won over some local fans with her glowing assessment of Sydney following her three-set victory over Eva Lis on Monday.
“I love being here,” Swiatek said. “Honestly, I could live here – I love Sydney. I’m not sure, but I think it’s becoming my favorite city in the world. I’m really happy here.”
If singles matches are played separately, the winner will be decided by mixed doubles.
