Team USA will guarantee its place in the quarterfinal of the United Cup by beating Croatia on Day 5. The Americans have arguably the strongest team on paper, with WTA Finals champion Coco Gauff and US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz in its ranks.
Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic will hope to lead her country to an upset. We at LWOT predict all three matches between the teams, but which country do you expect to triumph?
United Cup Day 5 Predictions
Taylor Fritz vs Borna Coric
Head-to-head: Coric 4-0 Fritz
World No. 4 Fritz is ranked 86 places higher than Coric and starts as a clear favorite. However, his failure to beat the Croatian in their previous four meetings adds an interesting dynamic to the contest. All four of those matches were before 2021, though, and Fritz has developed significantly as a player in the years since. The former Cincinnati Open champion’s consistent style means Fritz will probably need to work hard to triumph, but his improved game should lead to a first victory against Coric.
Prediction: Fritz in 2
Coco Gauff/Taylor Fritz vs Donna Vekic/Ivan Dodig
Gauff and Fritz played doubles together at the Olympics, although they did not go as far as they’d hoped. However, that experience may have helped them secure a high-quality 7-6, 7-5 victory against Canada’s Leylah Fernandez and Felix Auger Aliassime. Dodig is an accomplished doubles player, but the 39-year-old and Vekic are not as formidable a doubles team as their American counterparts.
Prediction: Gauff/Fritz in 2
Coco Gauff vs Donna Vekic
Head-to-head: Vekic 1-0 Gauff
Gauff and Vekic’s only previous meeting was during the Croatian’s superb run at the Paris Olympics. Although Vekic played excellently in that match, her 20-year-old opponent was out-of-sorts throughout it. But Gauff has been much more confident since splitting with Brad Gilbert and hiring Matt Daly as his replacement after the US Open. She won the China Open and WTA Finals at the end of the 2024 season and began the new season with singles and doubles wins against Canada. Gauff’s superior athleticism and defense in the hot Australian conditions give her an invaluable advantage.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch – USA TODAY Sports
