Alex de Minaur produced a dominant performance to give Australia an early advantage against Poland before the two nations ended the opening day of their Davis Cup World Group I tie level at 1-1 in Brisbane.
The Australian world No. 9 defeated Poland’s Maks Kasnikowski 6-3, 6-0 in just 56 minutes at Pat Rafter Arena on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
De Minaur, who had endured an early exit at the US Open, looked sharp from the opening game and quickly established control. He broke Kasnikowski in the fourth game of the opening set before securing the set 6-3.
The Australian then raised his level in the second set, breaking immediately and racing through it without dropping a game. Kasnikowski, ranked 231st in the world, struggled to match the pace and consistency of his higher-ranked opponent.
De Minaur’s victory put Australia 1-0 ahead and gave the home crowd plenty to celebrate as the team looks to secure progress in the Davis Cup qualifying pathway.
However, Poland responded in the second singles match when Kamil Majchrzak defeated Australia’s James Duckworth 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 after more than two hours of play.
Duckworth made an encouraging start, taking the opening set 6-2 and moving ahead early in the deciding set. Majchrzak fought back, however, and eventually took control after saving two break points at 3-3.
The tie will now be decided by Sunday’s doubles and reverse singles matches. De Minaur is scheduled to face Majchrzak in one of the reverse singles contests, while Duckworth could meet Kasnikowski in the deciding fifth rubber if the teams remain level at 2-2.
The outcome is important for both nations as they seek to advance in the Davis Cup competition. Australia must win the tie to progress to next year’s qualifying round, while defeat would end its hopes of reaching the 2027 Finals pathway.
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