Daniela Hantuchova and Dominik Hrbaty each won their opening matches yesterday to give Slovakia the Hopman Cup team tennis championship over Argentina.
The Slovakians also won the mixed doubles in a walkover when Coria withdrew with a back strain.
PHOTO: AP
Hrbaty did not drop a set in any of his four singles matches at this year's event.
Hantuchova conceded the first set in just 17 minutes against Dulko, who lost all four of her singles matches.
Hantuchova, who lost last year's final against the US playing with Karol Kucera, was pleased to give the Slovakians the early lead.
"I'm just so happy that I got through this," she said. "I didn't really feel like I was playing my best and I just tried to hang in there and fight for every point."
It was the second Hopman Cup win by Slovakia -- Kucera and Karina Hadsudova won in 1998.
Hrbaty said he had received text messages of support all week from Slovakian Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda. And Hantuchova said it was a special day for her small European homeland.
"It's been like a dream week for me," she said. "I had so much fun with Dominik and I can't tell you how happy I am to be here winning the Hopman Cup. It's something special and it's amazing for our country because there's just five million people."
Hrbaty said he lifts his game whenever he represents his country.
"I'm the kind of guy who likes to go in the team competitions," he said. "When I play Davis Cup I can get out 120 percent out of myself, I don't know how. If I could play like I do in Davis Cup every time I came to a tournament, I would be for sure top 10 all year round."
Men's Hardcourt
Second-seeded Joachim Johansson of Sweden and American Taylor Dent will contest the final of the Australian men's hardcourt tennis championships following straight-set semifinal wins yesterday.
Johansson beat Olivier Rochus of Belgium 6-1, 7-6 (5) at Memorial Drive while the fifth-seeded Dent, son of former Australian Davis Cup player Phil Dent, defeated Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela 6-1, 6-1.
Johansson won six straight games to take the first set in 24 minutes. Rochus had a service break in the fifth game of the second set, but Johansson broke back in the next game to set up a tiebreaker.
With Rochus leading 5-4 in the tiebreaker and serving, a Johansson groundstroke, which looked to have landed past the baseline, was called in, allowing the Swedish player to level at 5-5.
It appeared to bother Rochus, who lost the remaining two points.
"It was so close ... one mistake like this and the match is over, it's tough," Rochus said. "For me, it was clearly out."
Women's Hardcourt
Second-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland lost the first set in 17 minutes to local favorite Samantha Stosur on yesterday before rebounding for a 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 win in the women's hardcourt final.
It was Schnyder's ninth career WTA victory.
Schnyder, serving for the match at 6-5, trailed 0-40 but held her serve after three deuces. She broke Stosur in the sixth game of the second set to take a 4-2 lead before leveling the match at a set each following an overrule by a linesman.
The baseline linesman overruled his initial call on a Stosur winner that would have given the Australian a vital break. But chair umpire Scott Ray ordered the point to be replayed and Schnyder went on to hold her service.
Qatar Open
Roger Federer eased past Russia's Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-4 on Friday to reach the final of the Qatar Open, where the world's top-ranked player will meet sixth seed Ivan Ljubicic.
Playing with the kind of sublime form that has brought him three easy victories in previous rounds here in Doha, Swiss top seed Federer defeated Davydenko in 64 minutes.
Federer's semifinal win was his 20th in a row since his second-round ouster from the Athens Olympics last August.
Federer, who hasn't lost a service game during the tournament, said Davydenko made him work for his victory, but he was ready for another tournament win.
ASB Classic
Slovakia's Katarina Srebotnik beat doubles partner Shinbou Asagoe of Japan 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 yesterday to win the ASB Women's Classic final.
The unseeded Srebotnik fought back from a set and 4-0 down to beat the fourth-seeded Asagoe in two hours and 20 minutes for her third WTA title.
The singles finalists later teamed to beat Leanne Baker of New Zealand and Francesca Lubiani of Italy 6-3, 6-3 in the doubles final. The doubles crown was Srebotnik's eighth and Asagoe's sixth.
HK Challenge
Elena Dementieva cruised past defending [champion Venus Williams 6-3 6-2 yesterday to win the Hong Kong's Champions Challenge tennis tournament.
Dementieva of Russia, who is ranked sixth in the world, broke Williams three times in the first set, while losing her service once.
The 24-year-old American put up a stiff fight when 5-2 down in the second set, saving three championship points before losing the match at the Victoria Park tennis court.
It was Dementieva's first win since her victory at Hasselt in Belgium last year, and it boosted her confidence.
"It's really a great start to the year no matter whether it's an exhibition or not. I was trying to play my best and I really did it," said Dementieva.
Before the match, organizers auctioned off rackets belonging to the players, raising HK$1.6 million (US$205,128) for victims of the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster. Sharapova's racket fetched HK$520,000 (US$66,660), while that of Williams got HK$400,000 (US$51,280).
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two