Jason Kubler performed admirably once more to force mixed doubles match in Australia’s United Cup match versus Spain.
Tuesday night, Kubler defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas, who was ranked higher, with a hard-fought 6-3 4-6 6-3 victory to even the Sydney match at two rubbers each.
Following Kubler’s triumph over Britain’s Dan Evans four nights earlier, Australia’s first United Cup match could now be won by playing co-captain Sam Stosur and bronze medalist in the mixed doubles at the Tokyo Olympics John Peers.
In less than an hour, the seasoned Australians defeated Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and David Vega Hernandez in straight sets thanks to their excellent teamwork on a rainy night at Ken Rosewall Arena.
Kubler, who enjoyed his time in Sydney with his Australian teammates, stated, “It’s fantastic for me to have two of my biggest wins here in Australia; it’s extremely unique.”
“But it’s also been special off the field. I got to socialize with every Australian. I was able to develop even closer relationships with some of the people I didn’t know. Additionally, build your relationships with others and feel like you have each other’s backs.
In the decisive mixed doubles rubber, Stosur and Peers defeated Bouzas Maneiro and Vega Hernandez 6-2 6-3 to give Australia a 3-2 comeback triumph.
Early on in the second set, it appeared that the winner-takes-all match would be postponed due to a string of lightning strikes in the nearby suburbs.
Australia’s playing co-captain Stosur and Peers, who wanted to win in as little time as possible, completed the victory in under an hour.
Alex de Minaur’s victory over Rafael Nadal on Monday night tied the contest at one match each, and Maddison Inglis’ defeat to Nuria Parrizas Diaz brought the score even.
In her United Cup debut on Tuesday, rising prodigy Olivia Gadecki was defeated 6-2, 6-2 by 193rd-ranked Bouzas Maneiro.
Gadecki was a last-minute replacement for Zoe Hives due to injury, and this was her first outing in the green and gold since making her Billie Jean King Cup doubles debut in November 2021.
Gadecki, previously taught by David Taylor—the renowned ex-mentor of Naomi Osaka, Martina Hingis, Alicia Molik, and Stosur—made a quick ascent up the rankings, reaching a career-high No. 156 in July of last year.
After receiving a wildcard entry from Tennis Australia, Ash Barty has also taken Gadecki under her wing and will be courtside for her AO main-draw debut at Melbourne Park.
Gadecki has dropped out of the top 200 for women, but Kubler is on track to reach a new career-high ranking of somewhere around 80th by the following Monday, thanks to his two victories in Sydney.
The 29-year-current old’s position is precisely what he deserves after finishing as Australia’s lone survivor at Wimbledon in July and being Australia’s last man standing at the French Open.
But the ATP chose not to grant him any ranking points at Wimbledon in protest of the All England Club’s ban on Russian and Belarusian players due to Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine, so he was left without any.