Hyundai Hopman Cup
Tsonga, Cornet Win First Hopman Cup Title for France
hopmancup.com January 4, 2014 Perth - World No.10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga tuned up for the Australian Open in grand style by guiding France to the Hyundai Hopman Cup title at Perth Arena. France won the event for the first time, beating Poland 2-1 in a thrilling final in front of more than 10,000 fans.
Tsonga overcame a second-set scare to beat Grzegorz Panfil 6-3 3-6 6-3 in the men’s singles before world No.5 Agnieszka Radwanska levelled the tie with a drama-filled 6-3 6-7 (9-7) 6-2 win over Alize Cornet. Tsonga then dominated proceedings in the deciding mixed doubles to lift France to a 6-0 6-2 triumph in just 47 minutes, with Cornet jumping into his arms once they secured victory.
Earlier, Cornet looked down and out in her singles match after losing the first set and going 5-3 down in the second. The world No.27 managed to save a match point, but she broke out in tears a few points later when a series of long-winded rallies left her struggling to breathe. Despite Cornet being on the verge of collapsing, match umpire James Keothabong gave her a time violation.
Cornet battled on to win the 80-minute second set in a tiebreak. But she had no energy left for the deciding set, with Radwanska securing the epic win in 153 minutes.
Tsonga’s failure to convert any of his seven break points in the second set of the men’s singles rubber came back to haunt him as world No.288 Panfil converted his sole break point. The 28-year-old was filthy on himself for missing those chances, but he made good in the third set as he secured the win in 100 minutes.
Panfil was only called up for the Hopman Cup after world No.21 Jerzy Janowicz pulled out with injury. The 26-year-old had racked up just $A154,294 in ATP career earnings before the mixed-teams tournament. But he will walk away with the biggest pay cheque of his career, a cool $90,000.
Final: France d. Poland 2-1
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bt Grzegorz Panfil 6-3 3-6 6-3
Agnieszka Radwanska bt Alize Cornet 6-3 6-7 (7-9) 6-2
Cornet/Tsonga bt Radwanska/Panfil 6-0 6-2
France Books Final Spot Against Poland
hopmancup.com: January 03 2014 Perth - France has secured a place in Saturday’s Hopman Cup final against Poland after Alize Cornet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga posted wins at Perth Arena on Friday. Cornet overcame an injury scare to beat Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-2 6-2, before Tsonga defeated journeyman Daniel Munoz-De La Nava 6-4 6-7 (9-7) 6-2 in 135 minutes.
Tsonga had three match points in the second set, but he blew them all as Munoz-De La Nava pulled off a series of fine strokes. The Spaniard needed treatment on his knee early in the deciding set, and Tsonga made the most of his opponent’s discomfort to close out the win.
Cornet breezed through the first set in 39 minutes against Medina Garrigues, but her momentum was halted by a hamstring injury during the second set. The 23-year-old stretched and flexed her left leg on numerous occasions, but fought on to win the match in 81 minutes.
Cornet said the injury was only a minor discomfort and wouldn’t force her to miss the final of the $1 million mixed-teams tournament. Cornet has won three singles titles and two doubles titles since turning professional in 2006. But the world No.27 said guiding France to their first Hopman Cup title would hold a special place in her heart.
Poland’s pairing of world No.5 Agnieszka Radwanska and Grzegorz Panfil finished on top of Group A after beating Australia 2-1 on Thursday night. Sam Stosur put up a dogged fight before succumbing to Poland’s world No.5 Agnieszka Radwanska 3-6 6-4 6-3 at Perth Arena after Bernard Tomic recorded a 6-1 6-4 win over Grzegorz Panfil. The Polish pair needed to win a set from the live mixed doubles to prevent Canada reaching Saturday’s final and they did so breaking Stosur’s serve to take the second set 7-5 on their way to a 1-6 7-5 [10-8] victory.
Radwanska needed an injury time out midway through the second set of the women’s singles to receive treatment on her heavily strapped right shoulder. But the 24-year-old bounced back strongly, levelling the match at one set apiece before securing the win in 143 minutes.
Results Friday January 03 2014
[1] Poland v [7] Australia
Bernard Tomic bt Grzegorz Panfil 6-1 6-4
Agnieszka Radwanska bt Samantha Stosur 3-6 6-4 6-3
Radwanska/Panfil bt Stosur/Tomic 1-6 7-5 10-8
[3] France v [8] Spain
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bt Daniel Munoz-De La Nava 6-4 6-7 (7-9) 6-2
Alize Cornet bt Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-2 6-2
Cornet/Tsonga bt Garrigues/Munoz-De La Nava 8-3
Canada Keeps Hopes Alive, Defeats Italy 3-0
hopmancup: January 2, 2014 Perth - Canada has given itself the best possible chance of qualifying for Saturday’s Hopman Cup final, thanks in part to Flavia Pennetta’s injury and impressive play from Eugenie Bouchard and Milos Raonic.
The Canadian pair won their respective singles matches before clinching a dead mixed doubles rubber over Australian substitute player Bojana Bobusic and Italian Andreas Seppi 6-1 6-4.
Bouchard won the first 11 points of her match before world No.31 Pennetta could even stop the flow but it was clear early on something was not right as her usual flat forehand lacked pace and control. The Italian called for an injury timeout to have her wrist heavily strapped but she would last only one game further, calling an end to the match while trailing 4-0.
Raonic, meanwhile, atoned for a shock loss to Grzegorz Panfil with a straight sets 6-2 6-4 win over the winless Andreas Seppi. The loss extended Seppi’s winless streak in singles at the Hopman Cup to six after failing to get on the board at last year’s event and falling to none from three in the 2013-14 event.
Results Thursday January 02 2014
[6] Italy v [4] Canada
Milos Raonic bt Andreas Seppi 6-2 6-4
Eugenie Bouchard bt Flavia Pennetta 4-0 ret
Raonic/Bouchard bt Seppi/Bobusic 6-1 6-4
Results Wednesday January 01 2014
United States v [3] France
Sloane Stephens bt Alize Cornet 7-5 6-0
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bt John Isner 7-6 (7-1) 6-3
Cornet/Tsonga bt Isner/Stephens 6-1 5-7 10-5
Results Tuesday December 31 2013
[6] Italy v [7] Australia
Flavia Pennetta bt Samantha Stosur 6-4 6-4
Bernard Tomic bt Andreas Seppi 4-6 6-3 6-2
Pennetta/Seppi bt Stosur/Tomic 6-3 6-4
Results Monday December 30 2013
[2] United States v [8] Spain
Sloane Stephens d Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3 6-1
John Isner d. Daniel Munoz-De La Nava 6-3 6-4
Isner/Sloane Stephens d. Garrigues/De La Nava 4-6 6-0 10-4
[3] France v [5] Czech Republic
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bt Radek Stepanek 6-1 6-4
Petra Kvitova bt Alize Cornet 6-1 3-6 7-5
Cornet/Tsonga bt Kvitova/Stepanek 6-1 6-3
Results Sunday December 29 2013
[5] Czech Republic v [8] Spain
Petra Kvitova d. Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-1 6-0
Radek Stepanek d. Daniel Munoz-De La Nava 6-2 6-2
Kvitova/Stepanek d Garrigues/De La Nava 6-3 6-4
Poland v [4] Canada
Agnieszka Radwanska d. Eugenie Bouchard 6-3 6-7(9) 6-2
Grzegorz Panfil d. Milos Raonic 7-6 (7-1) 6-3
Raonic/Bouchard d. Radwanska/Panfil 6-3 5-7 10-3
French Pair Edge Americans in Mixed 2-1; Tsonga Tops Isner, Stephens Def. Cornet
hopmancup.com January 01 2014 Perth - France’s hopes of winning their first ever Hopman Cup have been given a major boost after they defeated the US 2-1 at Perth Arena. World No.12 Sloane Stephens got the US off to a perfect start with a 7-5 6-0 win over Alize Cornet in the women’s singles.
But Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 win over John Isner levelled the tie, before France won the deciding mixed doubles 6-1 5-7 10-5. France will reach the final of the mixed-teams event if they beat winless Spain on Friday.
Isner committed 17 unforced errors in the first set of the men’s singles rubber, with three of those coming early in the one-sided tiebreak. The only break of the match came in the eighth game of the second set, with Tsonga securing the win in 76 minutes. Tsonga missed most of the second half of 2013 with a knee injury, but said he was feeling strong as he builds towards this month’s Australian Open. Hyundai Hopman Cup
Aussies Fall to Italians; France def Czechs
hopmancup.com December 31 2013 Perth - A tired Bernard Tomic felt like he had just played a nine-set monster after fighting back to secure a 4-6 6-3 6-2 win over Italy’s Andreas Seppi at the Hopman Cup on Tuesday. But it wasn’t enough to lift Australia to victory, with Italy winning the deciding mixed doubles to end the home nation’s title hopes.
Tomic was feeling the effects of a heavy training load after practising for five hours on Monday and a further two hours before he took on Seppi. The gruelling schedule took its toll on Tomic as he conceded the first set. But the 21-year-old dug into his reserves to turn the tables, with his win levelling the tie at 1-1 after Sam Stosur had earlier crashed to a 6-4 6-4 loss to Flavia Pennetta. Italy won the mixed doubles 6-3 6-4 to ensure Australia’s title drought would extend to a 16th year.
Stosur said she was frustrated but not despondent after slumping to consecutive singles defeats. The 2011 US Open champion, who suffered a three-sets loss to Eugenie Bouchard on Saturday, committed 26 unforced errors against Pennetta. Stosur has famously struggled to find form during the home tennis summer in recent years, but says there’s no need to panic just yet ahead of January’s Australian Open. Stosur has now lost all five of her meetings with Pennetta, who is ranked 13 places behind the world No.18 Australian.
Poles Stun Canadians; Panfil Upsets Raonic, Radswanka Beats Bouchard
hopmancup.com: December 30, 2013 Perth - Unheralded journeyman Grzegorz Panfil has pulled off the biggest win of his career, overcoming a rankings gap of 277 places to stun world No.11 Milos Raonic 7-6(1) 6-3 to hand Poland a surprise 2-0 victory over Canada.
Agnieszka Radwanska had earlier got the Poles off to an expected, albeit hard-fought, 1-0 lead with a 6-3 6-7 (7) 6-2 triumph over Eugenie Bouchard; the pair producing some of the highest quality shot-making of the tournament to date.
The Canadians managed to salvage a point from the tie with a 6-3 5-7 10-3 win, but the night belonged to Panfil, a player used to plying his trade in far-flung challenger events in the likes of Romania, Cyprus and Turkey. Having showed glimpses of his booming lefty serve and heavy forehands while leading Andreas Seppi by a set on debut before the Italian retired with illness, Panfil played with no fear against the biggest server in the men’s game.
With games going predictably on serve to a first-set tiebreak, Panfil played out of his skin, crunching a Raonic second serve for a backhand winner before a superb low stretch-backhand volley winner into the open court and an unreturnable serve bringing up five set points.
He closed it out, much to the delight of a large Polish contingent in the crowd and built on the momentum early in the second set, breaking for 2-0 before ending the set, 6-3.
“I’m really surprised, it was my best match in my career so I’m really happy and back into Australia after six years. I’m really happy to be here, yeah I still can’t believe it,” a beaming Panfil said.
Canada Defeats Aussies 2-1; Raonic beats Tomic, Bouchard Upsets Stosur
hopmancup.com December 28, 2013 Perth, Australia - Milos Raonic’s thunderous first deliveries have found their range in Perth Arena on Saturday night, with 18 aces helping the Canadian hand his country a 1-0 lead over Australia in a 7-6(6), 6-1 victory over Bernard Tomic.
Eugenie Bouchard then gave the Canadians an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie, upsetting Sam Stosur 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 before the Australians salvaged some pride before their home crowd with a straight sets 6-2, 6-4 win in the mixed doubles.
It was the perfect birthday present for the world No.11 Raonic, who celebrated turning 23 on Friday, and marked a solid return after a lengthy off-season. “Sort of four to five weeks locked away training and doing the work and you want to start competing, you get hungry, you start missing the competition and to be here and to start this well is definitely something I’m happy and positive about,” Raonic said.
In the women’s singles, Stosur broke for 4-3 and looked confident smothering the net to hold for 5-3 in the first set. She closed the opener out impressively, with a jamming serving sending Bouchard’s backhand return wide for 6-4.
From there the 19-year-old Canadian lifted her game, while the errors began to mount from the Stosur racquet. Despite the crowd eagerly willing her on, Stosur was unable to hold out a free-swinging Bouchard at 3-4 in the third, chipping a stretched backhand wide to surrender the break before overcooking consecutive forehands to give Bouchard the win.
“I was trying to be the aggressive one and step in and control the point and I think I overall kind of did that well,” Bouchard said. Official Website
Results Saturday December 28 2013
[1] Poland vs [6] Italy
A.Radwanska (POL) d. F. Pennetta (ITA) 6-2, 6-2.
G. Panfil (POL) d. A. Seppi (ITA) 6-4, 2-2 ret.
A. Radwanska/G. Panfil d. F. Pennetta/O.Anderson 6-2, 6-1.
[4] Canada vs [7] Australia
M. Raonic d. B. Tomic 7-6, 6-1.
E. Bouchard d. S. Stosur 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
S. Stosur/B. Tomic d. E. Bouchard/M. Raonic 6-2, 6-4
Sunday 29 December
[5] Czech Republic v [8] Spain
[1] Poland v [4] Canada
Monday 30 December
[2] United States v [8] Spain
[3] France v [5] Czech Republic
Preview
Star-Studded Mixed-Team Tournament at 2014 Hyundai Hopman Cup
tennis.com.au November 29, 2013 Perth, Australia - Nine of the world’s top 20 players, including three top ten players, are set to play Hyundai Hopman Cup 2014. Petra Kvitova, John Isner, Sloane Stephens, Milos Raonic, Tommy Robredo and Eugenie Bouchard are among the stars confirmed for the ITF’s official mixed teams’ competition from 28 December 2013 to 4 January 2014, taking place at the state-of-the-art Perth Arena for the second consecutive year.
World No.7 Kvitova returns to Western Australia after winning the crown with Tomas Berdych in 2012. In 2011 the 23-year-old from the Czech Republic won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, going on to win the year-end WTA Tour Championships, play in the winning Czech Fed Cup team and finish the year as world No.2, a career high.
The powerful left-hander has won 11 WTA career singles titles and will partner Radek Stepanek who makes his Hyundai Hopman Cup debut.
Stepanek, a former world No.8 and currently ranked No.6 in doubles, won men’s doubles titles at the Australian Open in 2012 and the US Open in 2013, and was a member of the champion Czech Republic Davis Cup team in 2012.
USA’s No.1 powerhouse and current world No.13 John Isner will team with rising star Sloane Stephens. Milos Raonic, 22 years old and on the cusp of the top 10, will be joined by 2012 junior Wimbledon champion Eugenie Bouchard for Team Canada. Raonic is Canada’s highest ever ranked player and currently holds five ATP career singles titles, two of which he has won this year. He is looking forward to the unique format of the event.
Former US Open champion Sam Stosur will fly the flag for Australia with Bernard Tomic, who looks to continue his unbeaten record at Perth Arena. Poland will make their debut with world No.4 Agnieszka Radwanska and world No.15 Jerzy Janowicz, the first Polish man ever to make the semifinals at Wimbledon.
Team France will see world No.9 and fan favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga team with No.27 Alize Cornet who replaces Marion Bartoli who retired from the sport in August. This is Cornet’s second appearance at the Hopman Cup; she teamed with Gilles Simon in 2009.
The 2014 champion Anabel Medina Garrigues is back for the fourth time, defending the title for Spain alongside world No.19 and two-time Hyundai Hopman Cup champion Tommy Robredo. World No.22 Andreas Seppi and US Open semifinalist, world No.31 Flavia Pennetta, will represent Italy.
Hopman Cup: Team Poland Janowicz and Radswanka
Hopman Cup: The Field
Team Competitors
Nation/Ranking/Player
Poland: No.15 Jerzy Janowicz and No.4 Agnieszka Radwanska
USA: No.13 John Isner and No.12 Sloane Stephens
France: No.9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and No.27 Alize Cornet
Canada: No. 11 Milos Raonic and No.35 Eugenie Bouchard
Czech Republic No.39 Radek Stepanek and No.7 Petra Kvitova
Italy: No.22 Andreas Seppi and No.31 Flavia Pennetta
Australia: No.51 Bernard Tomic and No.20 Sam Stosur
Spain: No.19 Tommy Robredo and No.98 Anabel Medina Garrigues