Storm Hunter stepped up as a late replacement to give Australia a dominant 1-0 lead in their United Cup tie against Norway after world No.32 Maya Joint was a late withdrawal for the tournament hosts.
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While Joint missed the chance to make an early statement ahead of her home grand slam, Hunter nailed her opportunity with a classy 6-2 7-6 win over Norway’s Malene Helgo at Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney.
The veteran Aussie wasn’t scheduled to play singles but stormed out of the blocks with five games on the bounce to breeze through the first set.
It was a much tighter second set with the world No.426 having to rally from 4-1 and 5-3 down, with Hunter’s thunderous forehand matching the stormy conditions around Sydney on a typically humid night.
Hunter had her chances in a marathon 11th game that featured 11 deuces, but she had to settle for a breezy hold of serve to force a tiebreaker which she dominated 7-3 to clinch the opening point of the tie.
“This is pretty emotional for me,” she said after the match.
“It’s been a pretty rough two years (after) rupturing my Achilles and fighting my way back through surgery and relearning everything.
“I never thought I’d be back on this court in a singles match representing Australia.
“This is Maya’s moment. Maya’s had an incredible year and it’s such a shame that she couldn’t come out here tonight…but I’m just glad I could get the win for the team.”
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JOINT EFFORT
While Hunter excelled in her unexpected appearance, Joint’s Australian Open preparations have suffered a blow with the world No.32 ruled out of her opening match at the United Cup due to illness.
The 19-year-old Aussie is coming off her best season on tour where she shot up the rankings after starting 2025 outside the top 100.
But preparations for her home grand slam have taken a hit, with Joint missing the chance to pick up a confidence-boosting victory on home soil.
Joint didn’t take part in Friday’s pre-match media commitments but could return for Australia’s next tie on Tuesday where she would face two-time grand slam winner Barbora Krejcikova.
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