United Cup day seven as it happened: USA first team into semis; Tsitsipas wins epic

That’s where we’ll leave our live coverage for today, after a triumphant day for the USA and a host of gripping contests. The final batch of matches in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth are currently underway, with the final three semi-final spots up for grabs. You can watch all the action live on 9Now.

Tonight’s late matches:

• Michail Pervolarakis (GRE) vs. Borna Gojo (CRO)
• Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz (USA) vs. Harriet Dart and Jonny O’Mara (GBR)
• Camila Rosatello and Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) vs. Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz (POL)
• Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs. Donna Vekic and Borna Coric (CRO)

The United Cup will resume in Saturday’s semi-finals, ahead of Sunday’s final. Thanks for reading, we’ll see you then.

Greece is on the verge of joining USA in the semi-finals after Maria Sakkari powered past Croatia’s Petra Martic 6-3, 6-3 in Perth.

Sakkari’s win follows a hard-fought three-set thriller won by Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas over Borna Coric (6-0, 6-7, 7-5), cancelling out Donna Vekic’s thumping 6-2, 6-0 win over Despina Papamichail.

With two matches to play, Greece are in the box seat to advance. Michail Pervolarakis (GRE) takes on Borna Gojo (CRO) next.

It all comes down to the mixed doubles in the Brisbane city final with Poland and Italy locked at 2-2 after their four singles matches.

Poland’s Magda Linette made light work of Lucia Bronzetti (6-1, 6-2) in the fourth match of the tie, and now Camila Rosatello and Lorenzo Musetti (Italy) will face off against Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz (Poland) with the winners to advance to the semi-finals.

Nick Kyrgios looks set to enter the Australian Open without any matches this year after withdrawing from next week’s Adelaide International.

Australia’s No.1 player had already pulled out on the eve of the country-based United Cup last week because of an ankle injury he suffered in an exhibition event in December and is racing to be fit to compete at Melbourne Park.

Read the full story from Marc McGowan

We have our first semi-finalists, with USA defeating Great Britain with a match to spare, after Frances Tiafoe defeated Dan Evans 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Wins for Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula set up the team victory, which came despite Taylor Fritz’s loss to Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie.

There is still a mixed doubles match to come, featuring Pegula and Fritz against Harriet Dart and Jonny O’Mara, but it’s a dead rubber with the tie decided.

The three winners of tonight’s city finals will advance to the semi-finals, along with the losing nation that has the best record from the tournament so far (including the group stage and the today’s matches).

A big finish to the second set from Frances Tiafoe has sent yet another match to a deciding third set, with Tiafoe’s team USA having the chance to become the first nation to book a spot in the semi-finals. He’s up 1-0 in the third set against Great Britain’s Dan Evans – and swapped out his red t-shirt for a singlet in humid Sydney conditions – while two new matches underway in Brisbane and Perth.

Tiafoe (USA) v Evans (Great Britain) 3-6, 7-5, 1-0 (USA lead 2-1)

Sakkari (Greece) v Martic (Croatia) 3-2 (Series level at 1-1)

Linette (Poland) v Bronzetti (Italy) 0-0 (Italy lead 2-1)

Another three-set thriller goes Italy’s way, with Matteo Berrettini beating Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Italy is now up 2-1 and can advance to the semi-finals with a win in either of their final two matches of the Brisbane city final.

Meanwhile in Sydney Frances Tiafoe has broken back against Dan Evans, with the second set in their match now on track for a tie-breaker. Evans won the first set but needs to take the match to keep Great Britain alive, with the USA leading the tie 2-1.