Kazakhstan's former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina pulls her side level, after Pablo Carreño Busta got Spain off to a winning start in Group C as the United Cup gets underway in Perth.
Meanwhile, Simona Halep has pulled out of the Australian leg of the season as her comeback stalls, while Thanasi Kokkinakis and Alja Tomljanović are out of the Brisbane International with injuries.
Follow all the action in our live blog.
Key Events
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Spain takes a 1-0 lead
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Simona Halep out of Australian Open
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Kokkinakis out of Brisbane International
Kazakhstan 1-1 Spain
Alexander Shevchenko beaten by Pablo Carreño Busta, 2-6, 1-6
Elena Rybakina beats Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro, 6-2, 6-3
Shevchenko/Rybakina vs Carreño Busta/Cavallé-Reimers
Net game on point from these pairs
Mixed doubles a barn-burner early on
Spain has just had to save three break points against Kazakhstan in their mixed doubles clash.
It's been a tremendous first set, currently at 4-4.
Both sets of players are coming up with some magic shots, Shevchenko with a blistering double-handed backhand winner into the tramlines, Cavallé-Reimers with a return for the ages that cramped up Shevchenko, and Carreño Busta smashing a winner at the net.
Rybakina is also playing very nicely, stepping up and punching the ball into space at the net with crisp hitting and confidence.
Those that are in being treated to a phenomenal spectacle at what is a very impressive, if sparcely populated arena.
Brisbane International qualifying update
Tahlia Kokkinis (AAP)
Australian Tahlia Kokkinis has been knocked out of qualifying for the Brisbane International, losing 6-3, 6-3 to number three seed Sara Sorribes Tormo.
One of the other Aussies in the qualifying draw, Melisa Ercan, is also out, falling to the Slovakian fifth seed Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-3.
Mixed doubles timeout
As the mixed doubles tie gets underway, it's worth bringing up that there is a new rule this year, relating to time outs.
Teams can call a time out at any time they are serving, but not between first and second serves.
It can be called by either the captain on the sideline, or the players on court.
They have one time out each.
Gotta love the tennis
Hey Simon 😀👋 Love the summer of tennis! 😍
– Natty
How are the countries selected for the United Cup?
How does the ATP select the countries to play in the United Cup?
– Mara
Thanks for the question, Mara.
So, there were two cut off dates whereby teams were able to qualify, based on which players wanted to enter the competition.
At the time of the first deadline, on October 16, the 10 countries with the five highest-ranked men and five highest-ranked women qualified.
The second date allows an individual player inside the world's top 10 who wanted to enter, but did not have a team good enough to qualify them, to enter a team regardless of their ranking being good enough.
As hosts, Australia doesn't need to qualify by ranking.
The other eight teams are permitted via a wildcard.
Change in line up for the doubles
Spain are going to bring Pablo Carreño Busta in for the mixed doubles to partner Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers.
Carreño Busta has reached the final of the US Open as a doubles player, so certainly has pedigree.
Adds a bit of spice to those enjoying this day session in Perth.
Mixed doubles to decide the tie
Elena Rybakina confirmed she would be playing in the mixed doubles now, which will now be decisive in the result of this tie.
Mixed doubles are a little bit different to singles matches.
Where in the singles, the matches are played as the best of three, tie-break sets, the mixed doubles are played out as the best of two, tie break sets.
If the match is level at one set each, a match tie break (first to 10 points) is the breaking set.
Spain have been listed to be represented in the doubles by Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers (ranked 89 in doubles) and Sergio Martos Gornés (113).
Rybakina will partner with Alexander Shevchenko (doubles rank 869).
Elena Rybakina levels the tie!
(Getty Images)
Elena Rybakina, the former Wimbledon champion, gets the win for Kazakhstan!
It was two sets, in just under 80 minutes, 6-2, 6-3.
She did face two break points as she served for the match, but the moment she saved the first with an ace, and then won the second with a brilliant one-two punch by opening up the court and finding the line, she was always favourite.
Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro worked her way into the match, but the Spaniard was always outclassed.
"It was really tough one," Rybakina said.
"The first match is always difficult.
"I am pretty happy with the way I played today."
She also talks about Goran Ivanišević and the very early fruits of their coaching partnership.
"We did preparation for a couple of weeks, now we are still getting to know each other," she says.
"There are a lot of things to work on.
"Slowly I think we will see the results of the work.."
Game in good hands despite high-profile retirements, says United Cup chief
-with Reuters
(Getty Images)
I don't know about you (but the numbers on this blog are telling me a pretty clear story) but this is a pretty low-key start to the summer of tennis.
There are a number of terrific players in the tournaments that we've got coming up over the next few days and weeks, but are there genuine star names with star power for the casual fan?
Of course, part of that is down to the retirement of tennis greats Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Serena Williams.
That has made promoting events more difficult, according to United Cup tournament director Stephen Farrow.
(Getty Images)
But he says organisers must grab the opportunity to push new talent, such as Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff.
"It's true to say that from a promotional standpoint, it's very easy if you've got Roger Federer or Rafa Nadal turning up," Farrow told Reuters.
"You're talking about people who are absolute superstars of the sports arena … with those guys moving on, it does make it a bit more difficult to promote and tell the story of the athletes playing the event.
"I always see that as a positive, because it's on all of us in tennis to tell the story of this new talent.
"We've got a lot of them playing the United Cup. They're incredibly exciting and captivating to watch. I'm not worried about the future."
Farrow also said the United Cup was still building its brand and boosting awareness with fans and players.
"Last year we saw a really big step forward when we moved to a new format with one women's singles, one men's singles and one mixed doubles. It was incredibly competitive.
"Now we've established ourselves on the tennis calendar two weeks from the Australian Open. We've seen with the field this year that players want to play this event."
De Minaur not out to replicate United Cup fairytale
-with AAP
(Getty Images)
Let's quickly switch our attention to Sydney, where Alex de Minaur and the rest of the Australian team are ready and waiting to get their campaign underway.
De Minaur had a great time of it last time out, beating Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev ahead of what turned into a career best 2024 season.
But the world number nine says he's under no pressure to replicate his United Cup success when he returns to Ken Rosewell Arena.
Led by de Minaur, Australia reached the semi-finals before defeats in the women's singles and mixed doubles allowed eventual winners Germany to reach the decider against Poland.
But the 25-year-old, eager to enjoy home advantages, isn't worried about recapturing or outdoing last season's fairytale campaign.
"I've never associated playing in Australia as pressure," de Minaur said on Friday.
"I've always associated it as excitement and something that I'm looking forward to every single year because we don't get to do it as often as we would love to.
"Whenever we're back here, the season is starting, I know we're playing in front of our home crowd, and that's always exciting what I get up for.
"It always brings the best tennis in me."
Beyond once again using the tournament as a springboard for the Australian Open, de Minaur will be out to lead Australia to their first team title since the 2016 Hopman Cup.
Australia, captained by Lleyton Hewitt, were knocked out of the Davis Cup semi-finals by Italy in November after finishing runners-up last year.
(Getty Images)
Hewitt's team will also face Great Britain, featuring Billy Harris and de Minaur's fiance Katie Boulter, in the group stage.
"The biggest thing is we keep knocking on the door," Hewitt said.
"We have come bloody close, but it's not an easy thing to do.
"You look at some of these teams that end up winning these team competitions, and they got some pretty awesome players, some generational greats, or legends of the game.
"Once again, we'll do all the preparation that we need, and hopefully we can go out there and execute, but we're certainly not taking anything for granted."
Young gun Olivia Gadecki takes on Nadia Podoroska to kick off Australia's United Cup campaign, before de Minaur plays Argentina's Tomas Etcheverry on Saturday, followed by the mixed doubles match.
You can read a bit more about de Minaur's hopes and dreams for the 2025 season, right here.
Rybakina wins the first set
Elena Rybakina has started the way she means to continue – winning the first set 6-2 inside 38 minutes.
It looked like it was going to be a complete blow out at one point, but Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro did fight back and start winning some points on her own serve.
Rybakina is a tad rusty in parts, despite her incredible start, but looks very comfortable powering shots from the baseline.
Ajla Tomljanović out of the Brisbane International
(Getty Images)
We already spoke about one Aussie being forced out of the Australian Open.
Well, now there is another.
Ajla Tomljanović will miss the preparation tournaments with an unspecified injury, and will head straight to the Australian Open.
(Tomljanović instagram)
Tomljanović, ranked number 109 in the world, missed this year's Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon due to a knee injury.
The 31-year-old's last appearance on the WTA Tour was in Mexico in October.
Brisbane International qualifying
Although the Brisbane International does not get underway for a couple of days, qualifying is underway out at the Queensland Tennis Centre – and there's been some mixed news for the Aussies.
Australian Maddison Inglis needed little time to account for Belgian Ysaline Bonaventure, the 26-year-old, world number 154 from Perth winning through 6-2, 6-4 in just over an hour.
It was a bit tougher for fourth seed Daria Saville though, who was knocked out by 20-year-old Ukrainian Anastasiya Konstantinovna Soboleva, who put up a tremendous fight that belied her 217 ranking to win his a three-set marathon.
(AAP)
Moscow-born Saville, who is ranked just outside the top 100, dropped the first set 2-6, fought back to win the second 6-2, but then lost the decider 7-5 in a gruelling two hours and 31 minutes.
Goran Ivanišević wants Rybakina to work on her serve
Goran Ivanišević was just talking to Stan Sport, on the sideline of what is just his first official WTA match.
He said he'd need to have a little bit more time before he could explain the difference between coaching on the WTA Tour compared to the ATP Tour.
He said he wants her to show more emotion.
"Definitely not going to see her breaking racquets but hopefully she does show more emotion," he said on Stan Sport's coverage.
"She's a very different person and very calm. But I've been trying to put some emotion and I think it's going to help her game.”
He also said there were things he wanted to work on with his new charge, particularly her serve.
He wants Rybakina to come forward a bit more and try to win points a lot sooner rather than remain stuck on the baseline.
“We worked a couple weeks in Dubai. A little bit on the serve. Trying to push her to come to the net more," the Croatian former Wimbledon winner said.
"She has a big game and can finish the point much earlier than she was usually doing.
"It's a process. She needs to put in her head that she can play more aggressively, come to the net, and finish some points with the volleys."
It will be interesting to see how she goes.
Last year she won 79.5 per cent of her service games and hit 358 aces.
The games won percentage was the highest of her career, but her ace count was down by nearly 100.
She also was pinged for 137 double faults.
She is going OK here today though – Rybakina has not dropped a point in her first two service games and leads 3-0 inside 10 minutes of game time.
Next up: Elena Rybakina vs Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro
Elena Rybakina, one of tennis's biggest stars, is next on court.
The Moscow-born 25-year-old is ranked sixth in the world, won the Brisbane International last year and, perhaps more importantly, is an Australian Open finalist from 2023 and the 2022 Wimbledon champion.
The eight-time titlist on the WTA tour is a supremely powerful player, but struggled in the latter part of the year, missing the Olympics with illness and the Asian swing of the tour with a back injury.
In November, she split with coach Stefano Vukov following the US Open and is now under the steady gaze of Goran Ivanišević.
Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro is ranked 54 and is the Spanish number two.
The 22-year-old has not been on the WTA Tour long, but has a WTA Challenger title from March at the Antalya Challenger.
You might remember her from Wimbledon this year, where she upset defending champion Markéta Vondroušová to reach the third round.
She has never qualified for the Australian Open before.
Spain takes a 1-0 lead
(Getty Images)
It only took one hour and four minutes for Pablo Carreño Busta, who has steamrolled Alexander Shevchenko in straight sets 6-2, 6-1.
An impressive performance from the former world number 10, and one that seemed to surprise him too.
"Impressive also for me, I didn't expect this level at this stage of the year," Carreño Busta says with a smile on Stan Sport.
"It as very tough last year and the year before to try and continue to be my best because of the injury.
"When I started in the middle of the year it was very hard for me, the rehab.
"It was very important for me this year, I have worked very hard to be 100 per cent now."
Simona Halep out of Australian Open
Former world number one Simona Halep also dropped the news late last night that she is pulling out of the Australian leg of the season.
(Simona Halep instagram)
The two-time grand slam winner said she felt shoulder and knee pain after playing in Abu Dhabi.
She has decided not to head to the southern hemisphere, where she had a wild card for the Auckland International and Australian Open qualifying.
Kokkinakis out of Brisbane International
Some bad news for Australian fans in Brisbane as Thanasi Kokkinakis has pulled out of the tournament with a hip injury.
"Sad to miss Brisbane Tennis this year," Kokkinakis wrote on social media.
"Dealing with a small hip issue that needs some more time, but hopefully back for the rest of the summer."
The 28-year-old world number 77 was given a wildcard for the event.
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