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BRISBANE, Aus. – The first official WTA Tour matches of the season are in Brisbane, where the first round of qualifying got under way Friday under unbearably steamy conditions.

By early afternoon, the temperature was sitting at about 38C. And the heat rule was in effect.

There were a number of comebacks from a set down. But even for the players practicing, it was a whole lot.

In Perth, the women from Great Britain, Australia, Spain and Brazil got the United Cup under way.

ATP Tour – Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 final results

(Perth is 13 hours ahead of EST; Brisbane is 15 hours ahead).

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Brisbane International
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Category: WTA Tour 500
Surface: Outdoor Hard
Dates: Dec. 29 – Jan. 7, 2024
Prize money: $1,736,763
Draws: S48 / D28

Friday, Dec. 29, 2023
Final results
Qualifying, first round

Timea Babos (HUN) def [5] Rebeka Sramkova (SVK) 76 (1) 64
Zeynep Sonmez (TUR) def [7] Heather Watson (GBR) 36 61 63
Sofya Lansere (RUS) def [10] Martina Capurro Taborda (ARG) 62 61
[WC] Talia Gibson (AUS) def [11] Léolia Jeanjean (FRA) 46 63 64

[1] Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) def. [WC] Seone Mendez (AUS) 61 63
[2] Dayana Yastremska (UKR) def [PR] Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) 62 62
[3] Mai Hontama (JPN) def. Chloe Paquet (FRA) 75 63
[4] Olivia Gadecki (AUS) def. [PR] Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) 75 60
[6] Hailey Baptiste (USA) def. Gabriela Knutson (CZE) 61 60
[8] Julia Riera (ARG) def. Priscilla Hon (AUS) 36 76 (3) 63
[9] Valeria Savinykh (RUS) def [WC] Jaimee Fourlis (AUS) 67 (8) 75 62
[12] Yulia Starodubtsewa (UKR) def [WC] Maddison Inglis (AUS) 63 26 64

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United Cup
Location: Perth and Sydney, Australia
Category: ATP/WTA Mixed event
Surface: Outdoor Hard
Dates: Dec. 29 – Jan. 8, 2024
Prize money: $15,000,000
Draws: RRs

Friday, Dec. 29, 2023
Final results

ESP 2, BRA 1 (Final)

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) def. Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA) 64 60
Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) def. Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) 76 (1) 64
Sara Sorribes Tormo / Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) def Beatriz Haddad Maia / Marcelo Melo (BRA) 64 75

GBR 2, AUS 1 (Final)

Cameron Norrie (GBR) def Alex de Minaur (AUS) 64 26 76 (2)
Katie Boulter (GBR) def. Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 62 64
Storm Hunter / Matthew Ebden (AUS) def Katie Boulter / Neil Skupski (GBR) 63 76 (5)