Hopman Cup wide open as Slovaks down US
PERTH, Australia (AFP)
The Slovaks swept aside the American pair of Meghann Shaughnessy and James Blake
in their Group B singles matches to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the tie with
the dead mixed doubles rubber still to be played.
Hantuchova had a see-saw first set against Shaughnessy which saw her break
serve in the seventh game, lose it in the eighth then break back in the ninth
before serving to love. She won 6-4, 6-2.
"In the first set she gave me a hard time, she was serving really well and it
was tough to break her but I'm glad the way I was holding my serve," said
Hantuchova, the world number 31.
"I was very quiet in the first (set) but after that I felt like I was in
control and it was quite good."
Hrbaty, ranked 14 in the world, was tested early before overcoming Blake 7-6
(7/2), 6-4.
"I wasn't serving very well in the first set then I change my toss and made it
a little higher and I started to serve much better," Hrbaty said.
The Slovaks looked to be heading out of the tournament following their defeat to
Australia earlier in the competition.
But the qualification picture was thrown wide open after an injury to Australian
star Mark Philippoussis' which has scuppered the hosts' chances of reaching the
final.
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韓娃組把握機會呀^^
Philippoussis suffered torn adductor muscles in his leg during a loss to the Netherlands' Peter Wessels on Wednesday, forcing him and team-mate Alicia Molik to forfeit the deciding mixed doubles rubber and with it the tie 2-1.
The injury is likely to rule Philippoussis out of the Australian Open (news - web sites) which starts in Melbourne on January 17.
Hopman Cup organisers said Thursday he would be replaced by little-known 25-year-old Paul Baccanello, ranked 324 in the world.
Under the rules of the event, Australia can still compete in ties with a substitute player ranked lower than the one they are replacing, but they are no longer eligible to qualify for the final.
With Australia out of the running, the Slovaks can still reach the final after their win against the US.
Similarly, the Netherlands, who only made the main eight-nation draw after beating Zimbabwe in a qualifying tie, could also reach the final after losing their opening match with the United States.
Apart from Australia, only top-seeds Russia and unseeded Italy can no longer make the final which will see the top team from each of the two groups of four teams play off.
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