Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
World No.7 Felix Auger-Aliassime will be one of the headline acts at January’s United Cup after Canada and Greece confirmed their all-star pairings for one of the biggest events of the Australian summer.
Auger-Aliassime and rising star Victoria Mboko will team up for the second year in a row, with tickets on sale for the tournament held in Sydney and Perth from January 1-10.
Poland won last year’s event which features top-ranked men’s and women’s stars competing in singles before a mixed doubles clash in the round-robin format.
Canada will be spearheaded by the big-serving Auger-Aliassime who rose to a career-high fourth in the world earlier this year after he reached the quarters at the French Open and Wimbledon.
“I’m excited to start the new year in Australia at the United Cup,” Auger-Aliassime said.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the draw and finding out whether Team Canada will be heading to Perth or Sydney.”
Mboko, 20, soared more than 300 spots in the rankings in the space of a year and is regarded as one of the most promising stars on tour.
“It’s an honour to represent Canada again at the United Cup,” she said.
“The United Cup is a unique event, and I’m proud to represent my country and compete alongside my teammates.”
Team Greece narrowly went down to the USA at the start of the year and will again be one of the most popular duos led by Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“We’re excited to be back playing at the United Cup again to represent our country,” Sakkari said.
“It’s such a different experience to other tournaments and the fans really get behind the format and create an incredible atmosphere.”
The Greeks are always a force to be reckoned with and showed how powerful support can be when they both reached finals on the same day earlier this year.
“Seeing us both in finals on the same day was a special moment for Greek tennis,” Tsitsipas said, referencing his victory at the Swiss Open.
“We’ve shared many milestones over the years and this is just the beginning of another exciting chapter. We can’t wait to see what we can do together at the United Cup.
“One of the best things is the team environment. You’re not just out there competing for yourself; you’re also on the sidelines cheering, bringing the energy and supporting your teammates. There’s nothing quite like it.”
The full list of countries and players will be revealed later in the month when the draw is finalised.
Alex de Minaur is set to lead Australia and will be partnered by Kimberly Birrell or Talia Gibson who are looking to make their United Cup debut.
“Auger-Aliassime, Mboko, Tsitsipas and Sakkari sets the tone for what’s to come. They’re four of the game’s most talented players, and we can’t wait to welcome more of the world’s best to Perth and Sydney this summer,” tournament director Stephen Farrow said.
“The atmosphere in the crowd at the United Cup is absolutely electric. We’re super excited to see ‘tennis turned up’ at all matches this summer.”
