It’s United Cup day one and trouble’s already detected. The annual group event in Perth saw the players struggling with soaring temperatures, as Brazilian world number 17 Beatriz Haddad Maia suffered intense cramps during her contest against the Chinese star Gao Zinyu, who also endured physical restrictions of her own.

The duo launched an impressive campaign against each other that lasted a breathtaking three-hour 22-minute. However, while they produced a stellar showdown for the home crowd, things didn’t sail as smoothly as they expected. The Brazilian was forced to serve underarm after cramps rendered her unable to move without restrictions.

Shockingly enough, Zinyu suffered a similar fate after she was seen limping around the court due to a potential injury in her left leg that was heavily strapped with precautionary bandages. Furthermore, she also received a medical timeout in the second set, unlike Haddad Maia, who wasn’t eligible for an MTO as cramps don’t qualify as a ‘medical’ issue. Regardless of facing such troubling measures, the Chinese sensation was in no mood to let Haddad Maia impose her authority in the final set.

Even though Haddad Maia resorted to underarm serves after visibly suffering pain and struggling to move, it didn’t help. She broke down, and, her Chinese rival took advantage of that. Zinyu overpowered the World No. 17 in a classy three-setter with a concluding scoreline of 5-7, 6-4, 7-5.

Zinyu, who replaced her Chinese counterpart Qinwen Zheng at the eleventh hour as the latter skipped the annual event to recover ahead of the 2025 touring calendar, showcased her skills in full, earning wild applause from the home crowd in Perth.

While Zinyu’s position with her team is strong, the other formidable title seekers are determined alike. With multiple teams in action and the USA promising strong potential as well, the fans are waiting to see the big American stars in action.

Coco Gauff stresses “higher form of competition” at United Cup

American superstar Coco Gauff went through a bitter-sweet season but remained resilient and found a fitting conclusion at the WTA Finals. She defeated Qinwen Zheng in Riyadh – walking away with north of a cool $4M. Now, she’s gearing up to restore her status in the group events, and with the United Cup, she got a chance to lead her team to glory.

During a pre-tournament presser, Gauff said: “For me I wanted to play a higher level of competition and also a team competition. I had a lot of fun with the Olympics. Basically a similar crew here today. Yeah, just had a lot of fun. The season’s already so much by ourselves that it’s nice to mix it up. I’m looking forward to hopefully having a good couple weeks here in Perth and hopefully in Sydney, as well.”

Gauff will continue her singles campaign in January 2025, starting at the Australian hardcourt swing. Do you think the 20-year-old will be able to make an impact at the Australian Open? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.