United Cup Preview: Italy, Czechia set for QF clash

A few days ago, after Team Italy had wrapped up a trip to the United Cup quarter-finals, reporters asked members who they’d prefer to play. The two potential options mentioned were Great Britain and Australia.

“I don’t like to say,” Jasmine Paolini said. “I don’t like also to think which team or which opponent is going to be better. When you think one is better, you play against him or her and you lose.”

As it turns out, after a quirk in the qualifying scenarios came to fruition, Italy meets Czechia on Friday in Sydney, the last of the quarter-finals.

United Cup: Scores | Order of Play

Poland was supposed to take on the best second-place team in Sydney, but that was Czechia, whom they had just beaten in Group B play. According to United Cup rules, teams from the same group cannot meet again until the final. Thus, Great Britain and Czechia swapped spots, setting up Thursday’s Poland-Great Britain tie (won by Poland) and Friday’s tasty tilt between Italy and Czechia.

The winner will advance to Saturday’s semi-finals in Ken Rosewall Arena against the United States. Kazakhstan (3-0) takes on Poland (3-0) in the other Final Four matchup.

United Cup: Sydney

Group D winner Italy (2-0) vs Group B runner-up Czechia (1-1)

Start time: (5:30 p.m. local, 1:30 a.m. ET)

Jasmine Paolini (ITA) vs Karolina Muchova (CZE)
Flavio Cobolli (ITA) vs Tomas Machac (CZE)
Sara Errani (ITA) / Andrea Vavassori (ITA) vs Karolina Muchova (CZE) / Tomas Machac (CZE)

Paolini is the World No. 4, but she’s facing a tremendous adversary in Karolina Muchova, who has won all four of their previous meetings. Flavio Cobolli and Tomas Machac are set to meet for the first time. Cobolli went 35-27 in 2024, while Machac held a 33-23 record.

If it comes down to mixed doubles, Italy might have the advantage. Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori are 2-0, with straight-set wins over France and Switzerland. Muchova and Machac are 1-1 after losing to Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz of Poland.