Main photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Argentina Secures Opening United Cup Victory Over Spain

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports | By Tope Oke | Last updated Jan 2, 2026 12:28 PM ET

Argentina recorded its first team victory in the 2026 United Cup in Perth on Friday, defeating Spain with singles wins from Sebastian Baez and Solana Sierra. World No. 66 Sierra secured the victory for her team in Group A with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 win against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, after Baez had earlier defeated Jaume Munar 6-4, 6-4 in the opening match of the tournament.

Argentina aims to progress past the group stage for the first time in three appearances in the tournament, on the back of this inaugural win by its second-highest and highest-ranked players in the PIF ATP Rankings and PIF WTA Rankings, respectively.

Sierra’s determination stood out, as she showed tremendous resilience after rallying from a 5-2 deficit in the second set in her match that lasted just over two hours. She was close to achieving a straight-sets victory on two occasions in the second set, but she ultimately triumphed in three sets against the World No. 41, marking her third career win over a Top 50 player. She allowed only eight points in the third set after dropping five consecutive games to lose the second.

Earlier, in the first match of the 2026 ATP Tour season, World #45 Sebastian Baez secured a victory over Munar, putting Argentina ahead 1-0 in one hour and 43 minutes in the Group A clash. This win improved his record to 2-0 in the head-to-head against Munar.

After both competitors exchanged breaks early in the first set, Baez took control at 4-4 by breaking Munar before serving out the set in the next game. In the second set, the Argentine displayed great composure by breaking back right after losing his serve, gaining a 4-3 advantage. He managed to save four out of the six break points he encountered during the match, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

With this victory, Baez claimed his first Top 50 win since overcoming then-No. 46 Mariano Navone on his path to the title in Rio last February.

The result was a sweep for Argentina as they also prevailed in the doubles match Maria Lourdes Carle and Guido Andreozzi the victors.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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