VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS OF UNITED CUP MATCHES – GREAT BRITAIN V JAPAN EDITOR'S NOTE: IF A DOUBLES MATCH IS TIED AT ONE SET ALL THEN A DECIDING TIE BREAKER IS PLAYED WITH THE WINNER BEING THE FIRST TO 10 POINTS SHOWS: PERTH, AUSTRALIA (JANUARY 4, 2026) (TENNIS AUSTRALIA / PITCH – See restrictions before use) 1. EXTERIOR RAC CENTER JAPAN V GREAT BRITAIN 2. JAPAN TEAM WALKING ON COURT 3. BRITAIN TEAM WALKING ON COURT/ EMMA RADUCANU IS LAST OUT SHINTARO MOCHIZUKI (JAPAN) V BILLY HARRIS (BRITAIN) 1ST SET 4. HARRIS WINS LONG RALLY WITH NET CORD BACKHAND TO TAKE 2-0 LEAD IN TIEBREAKER 5. HARRIS WITH SLAM WINNER TO WIN TIEBREAKER 7-6(4) 2ND SET 6. SERVING AT 5-3, 30-15, HARRIS BACKHAND NET CORD, MOCHIZUKI CHASES IT DOWN AND HITS HIS OWN NET CORD THAT HARRIS CAN'T RETURN 7. REPLAY OF HARRIS NET CORD AND MOCHIZUKI NET CORD WINNER 8. MOCHIZUKI CAN'T RETURN SERVE ON MATCH POINT, HARRIS WINS 7-6(4) 6-3. BRITAIN TAKES 1-0 LEAD 9. HARRIS SHAKING HANDS WITH JAPAN CAPTAIN GO SAEDA AND WAVING TO CROWD NAOMI OSAKA (JAPAN) V KATIE SWAN (BRITAIN) 1ST SET 10. RADUCANU SITTING BEHIND SWAN DURING TIME OUT 11. OSAKA WINS LONG RALLY WITH BACKHAND TO GO TO BREAK POINT, SHE WOULD GO ON TO BREAK SERVE AND EVEN SET 5-5 12. ON SET POINT FOR OSAKA, SWAN WITH FOREHAND WINNER TO GO TO DEUCE, SWAN WOULD GO ON TO HOLD SERVE AND FORCE TIEBREAKER 13. OSAKA WITH FOREHAND WINNER TO TAKE 6-3 LEAD IN TIEBREAKER, SHE WOULD GO ON TO WIN SET 7-6(4) 2ND SET 14. OSAKA WITH BACKHAND WINNER TO BREAK SERVE AND TAKE 1-0 LEAD 15. OSAKA WITH FOREHAND WINNER 16. SWAN HITS INTO NET ON MATCH POINT, OSAKA BREAKS SERVE TO WIN 7-6(4) 6-1, EVEN TIE AT 1-1 MIXED DOUBLES – NEAL SKUPSKI/OLIVIA NICHOLLS (BRITAIN) V YASUTAKA UCHIYAMA/NAO HIBINO (JAPAN) 1ST SET 17. SKUPSKI WITH CROSSCOURT VOLLEY WINNER TO GO TO BREAK POINT 18. SKUPSKI NET CORD WINNER TO BREAK SERVE AND WIN SET 7-5 2ND SET 19. UCHIYAMA WITH ACE TO WIN SET 6-4 AND SET UP TIEBREAKER 3RD SET 20. NICHOLLS WITH CROSSCOURT VOLLEY AT THE NET TO LEVEL SCORES AT 4-4 IN TIEBREAKER/ RADUCANU STANDS TO APPLAUD 21. SKUPSKI HITS FOREHAND WINNER TO EXTEND LEAD TO 8-6 22. NICHOLLS HITS FOREHAND VOLLEY TO WIN THE MATCH/ PLAYERS CELEBRATE/ PLAYERS SHAKE HANDS AT THE NET STORY: Great Britain have won their opening tie of the United Cup beating Japan 2-1 in Perth on Sunday (January 4) despite the late withdrawal of Emma Raducanu. The British number one has not played since October and team captain Tim Henman said the scheduled match against Naomi Osaka had come too early for her but has said she may feature later in the tournament. Billy Harris gave Great Britain a solid start beating Shintaro Mochizuki in the opening singles rubber in straight sets. Despite Mochizuki being ranked 29 places higher than Harris, he won a first set tiebreaker before cruising to a 7-6(4), 6-3 win in one hour and 50 minutes. Osaka was expected to face Raducanu for only the second time but the late change meant 26-year-old Katie Swan stepped in and was dismissed 7-6 (4), 6-1 in one hour and 53 minutes to level the match at 1-1. That set up a thrilling doubles decider where the teams play a deciding tie breaker if the scores are level after two sets. British pair Olivia Nicholls and Neal Skupski needed one hour and 46 minutes to beat Japan's Nao Hibino and Yasutaka Uchiyama. The British took the first set before the Japanese duo levelled things up winning the second. That set up a tie-break decider, where the winner must get to 10 points to win the rubber. Nicholls and Skupski held their nerve to win the match 7-5, 4-6, 10-7 and will now prepare with the rest of the team to face Greece on Monday (January 5) for a place in the quarter-finals. Japan, who lost 3-0 to Greece on Friday (January 2), have been eliminated from the competition. (Production: David Grip & Simon Ormiston)
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