The Slovak Republic won their third Hopman Cup on Friday, beating Russia 2-0 in the final of the mixed teams tournament.
The Slovak pairing of Dominika Cibulkova and Dominik Hrbaty beat Russian siblings and second seeds Dinara Safina and Marat Safin in two thrilling singles matches to claim the title.
Hrbaty joined a select group of players to have won two Hopman Cup titles, having teamed up with Daniela Hantuchova to win here in 2005. Karol Kucera and Karina Habsudova first won it for the Slovak Republic in 1998.
PHOTO: AFP
In the women’s singles, the emerging Cibulkova caused an upset when she beat world No.3 Safina in three sets, 6-7 (3/7), 6-1, 6-4.
Then the 31-year-old Hrbaty also came from a set down to beat 29th-ranked Safin in another tight three setter, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 7-6 (7/3).
The Slovaks have been friends for several years and Hrbaty said this helped the seventh seeds to upset more fancied opponents throughout the tournament.
PHOTOS: AFP
“I think because we had a great team spirit we won it,” he said. “We didn’t have by rankings probably the best team, but the team spirit was one of the best.”
Cibulkova said it had been a thrill to team up with one of her tennis heroes — as well as someone who hails from the same Slovakian club — and take the title.
“He was my idol, I was watching the Davis Cup when they went to the final and was there screaming,” she said. “I am so glad to be here with him and that won is just an amazing feeling.”
The women’s singles was one of the finest ever seen in a Hopman Cup final, with the diminutive Cibulkova, ranked No. 19 in the world, notching her first win over the towering Safina to cap an impressive week of singles form.
Safina, ranked No. 3 in the world and one of the likely contenders at the Australian Open, recovered from a break down to claim the first set in a tie-break when Cibulkova double faulted on the Russian’s first set point.
But Cibulkova, unbeaten in four singles matches this week, lifted her game as the Safina forehand lost its accuracy and her serve faltered in the second set.
The pugnacious Slovak reeled off the last five games of the set and continued that form into the decider, sweeping to a 5-1 lead after winning 11 of the previous 12 games.
However, just when Safina seemed vanquished, the Russian rallied and clawed her way back to 5-4 as Cibulkova was unable to serve out the match at the first attempt.
Safina then had two break points to level the match, but Cibulkova hung tough and an errant forehand from the Russian on the second match point finally handed the Slovak a well-earned win. It was the teenager’s first win in three matches against Safina and confirmed Hrbaty’s assessment that the 19-year-old can be one of the best players in women’s tennis.
The cagey Hrbaty, ranked 221 places below Safin at 250 in the world, then continued a fine week of singles form that belied his lowly ranking to seal the final.
Safin seemed set to level the tie when he produced a stunning forehand pass to clinch the first set and served a barrage of aces early in the second.
However, Hrbaty broke in the 11th game of the second set and leveled the match, before clinching the Hopman Cup in the third set tie-break.
■HONG KONG CHALLENGE
AFP, HONG KONG
World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic pulled out of the Hong Kong World Team Challenge with flu yesterday, throwing her Australian Open preparations into disarray.
The Serbian, who came into the tournament looking for vital match practice ahead of the year’s opening Grand Slam, said she had been struggling throughout the exhibition tournament.
“I have a flu and have been feeling weak and sick for the last couple of days. I really have been trying my best to go on the court but I feel slow and [have had] no reactions,” she said.
“I wanted to go out there for the crowd. It’s an exhibition event and as well I think it was a great opportunity for me to play some matches and try to get in form before the Australian Open but sometimes you cannot control it,” she said.
Jankovic, who is still looking for her first Grand Slam crown, played just one singles match in Hong Kong when she was thumped 6-2, 6-2 by Venus Williams.
“Nobody likes to be sick and now I’m on medication and I have to rest and try to recover as fast as possible and then we will see how everything will go,” she said. “It’s disappointing because I take care to try to play some matches and try to work on my game and try to get ready for the big Grand Slams but sometimes it’s bad luck. What can I do?”
The 23-year-old said she was flying to Melbourne later yesterday ahead of the start of the Australian Open on Friday on Jan. 19. She has no other matches scheduled before the tournament starts.
“My main goal now is to just get healthy and get back to the court as soon as possible and try to get ready for the Australian,” she said.
Her withdrawal from the Hong Kong event, which features teams from Russia, Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific, leaves her desperately short of match practice after playing only one singles and one doubles match this year.
Jankovic, captain of the European team here, admitted after her loss to Williams that she was rusty and still coming to terms with her new body shape after fitness and strengthening work during the close season.
Last year she reached the final of the US Open as well as the semi-finals of the Australian Open and the French Open.
■BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL
AFP, SYDNEY
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic has blamed his new racquet for his worrying form with just over a week to go before he begins his Australian Open title defense.
The world No. 3 was forced into an unscheduled stop-off in Sydney on his way to the year’s opening grand slam in Melbourne when he crashed out to Latvian Ernests Gulbis in the opening round of the Brisbane International on Tuesday.
Djokovic, 21, immediately sought a berth in the Sydney tournament for extra matches.
Djokovic yesterday said that his decision to spend New Year’s Eve in Belgrade, rather than honing his game in Australia, may have been the wrong one.
“I wasn’t supposed to play here but I decided to play here because of the lack of the matches prior to the Australian Open and I think I need some more official matches so I can get into the rhythm,” Djokovic told reporters.
Djokovic said he had no choice but to accept a wildcard into Sydney to further familiarize himself with his new racquet.
“I went from Wilson, which I played with for the last three years, to Head and there’s a lot of mental involvement obviously if you make a big change and it takes some time,” he said. “Of course, you have to hit a lot of balls and you just have to feel comfortable. I didn’t feel in Brisbane comfortable with the racquet and with the circumstances, but it’s going to be better.”
His loss to Gulbis was the only time he has used his Head racquet in competition.
Djokovic said he prefers to take the week before a grand slam tournament off.
“I usually try to keep the week before any grand slam [free] because I want to prepare and I want to save as much energy as I can,” Djokovic said. “Because you’re playing the best-of-five sets and it’s not easy under the difficult conditions, under the big heat.”
“But, as I’ve had a lack of the matches and I have made some major changes with the racquet, I need to get some more matches under my belt so I can feel comfortable,” he said.
As top seed in Sydney, Djokovic has a first-round bye and will open his campaign on Tuesday against either Italy’s Andreas Seppi or Paul-Henri Mathieu of France.
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