Hopman Cup XXVI AUSSIES BRING OUT THE BIG GUNS P8-9 RADWANSKA IN POLE POSITION P2 Thursday, December 19, 2013
HOPMAN CUP XXVI Thursday, December 19, 2013 Poland pair hope it s first time lucky Radwanska Bridget Lacy Poland enter the Hopman Cup fray for the first time in the popular tournament s 26th year. The young pairing of Agnieszka Radwanska and Jerzy Janowicz have been trailblazers for their country in a sport that the Polish have traditionally struggled in and now they are the first to represent their flag at the unique $1 million mixed teams event. And they will like their chances of lifting the trophy in their country s debut. Organisers agree with that assessment, seeding the Poles No.1, despite the fact they have never played mixed doubles together. They will open the tournament when they take on the Italian team of Flavia Pennetta and Andreas Seppi. World No.5 Radwanska comes to Perth as the highest-ranked female player in the field. I am very excited to play at the Hopman Cup for the first time, she said. I saw a couple of times players playing Hopman Cup and it was very entertaining, so I m looking forward to it. Radwanska has been a consistent performer since breaking into the top 10 in 2008. The 24-year-old has made the quarterfinals or better at every grand slam tournament except the US Open, where she has been bundled out in the fourth round for the past two years. She enjoyed a solid 2013, with another three WTA Tour wins to her name and an appearance at the season-ending championships in Turkey. But she is yet to claim her maiden grand slam title. A three-set loss to superstar Serena Williams in the 2012 Wimbledon final is the closest she has come. Radwanska is considered one of the smartest players on tour, relying more on touch and shot selection than power to give her an edge over her opponents. But her record against the top players has been her Achilles heel. Radwanska will be hoping playing in similar conditions to Rod Laver Arena at Perth Arena will help her eclipse her best effort at the Australian Open a quarterfinal appearance, which she has achieved in each of the past three years. Radwanska is excited to play her first mixed doubles match in five years with rising 23-year-old Janowicz. The 204cm, big-hitting right-hander has enjoyed a breakout year, reaching a career-high ranking of 14 in August. Janowicz, who only two years ago could not afford to travel to Melbourne for Australian Open qualifying, became the first Polish man to make a semifinal at a grand slam event at Wimbledon this year. The current No.21 is keen to have an impact in Perth. I was talking to Agnieszka and we decided it might be a lot of fun to play together at the Hopman Cup, Janowicz said. We never had a Hopman Cup team before in Poland so it s going to be a lot of fun. Janowicz Agnieszka Radwanska Born: 6/3/1989 Current ranking: 5 Highest ranking: 2 (9/7/12) Career singles titles: 13 Career doubles titles: 2 $14.1m Jerzy Janowicz Born: 13/11/1990 Current ranking: 21 Highest ranking: 14 (12/8/13) Career singles titles: 0 Career doubles titles: 0 $2m Index USA eye record seventh crown 3 Stephens has world at her feet 4 All the games 5 Tsonga aces his injuries 7 Tomic, Stosur hope for happy new year 8-9 Canadian teen wants revenge 11 Kvitova feels the heat 12 Italy s late bloomer 13 Memory lane 14 Spain s heroine returns 15 The team Writers: Russell Reid, Bridget Lacy, Nick Rynne Designer: Dijana Jovanovic Pictures: Getty Images, The West Australian
thewest.com.au HOPMAN CUP XXVI HOP For all the latest news Flashback: Spain s Fernando Verdasco and Anabel Medina Garrigues with the spoils of success after winning the Hopman Cup in January. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images Americans gun for seventh heaven Russell Reid John Isner and Sloane Stephens will be out to steer USA to a record seventh Hyundai Hopman Cup title at Perth Arena from December 28 to January 4. The Americans have been seeded No.2, behind Poland s Jerzy Janowicz and Agnieszka Radwanska. Poland will make their Hopman debut, but Isner has already held the coveted trophy aloft. The big-serving American teamed with Bethanie Mattek-Sands to beat Belgium s Ruben Bemelmans and Justine Henin in the 2011 final. That victory followed previous USA wins in 1997 (Justin Gimelstob/Chanda Rubin), 2003 (James Blake/Serena Williams), 2004 (Blake/Lindsay Davenport), 2006 (Taylor Dent/Lisa Raymond) and 2008 (Mardy Fish/Williams). Isner is best known for winning the longest match in the sport s history, his Wimbledon victory against Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, 6-4 3-6 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (7-3) 70-68, in the first round in 2010 which was played over three days and lasted 11 hours and five minutes. The 28-year-old world No.13 said he was keen to reacquaint himself with Perth crowds after being forced out of last summer s tournament with a knee injury before the third-round clash with Spain. That injury conceivably cost Isner and partner Venus Williams a place in the final. Eventual champions Spain won through to the tournament decider because of their 3-0 walkover against USA. Every time I have played the Hopman Cup I have enjoyed myself so much, Isner said. I ve absolutely loved my time in Perth. Big-serving Isner said the unique West Australian event provided the ideal lead-up for the Australian Open two weeks later at Melbourne Park. For me, playing the Hopman Cup is perfect preparation for the Australian Open, he said. It allows me to get down there early, get used to the heat and, on top of that, get top-notch, quality matches. Rising star Stephens will be making her Perth debut. The 20-year-old beat countrywoman Serena Williams en route to the semifinals at this year s Australian Open and also reached the fourth round at the French Open and quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Radwanska (No.5) and Janowicz (21) are two of 10 top-25 ranked players in the Elation: Verdasco and Medina Garrigues hug after snaring the title in the doubles. field for Hopman Cup XXVI. Janowicz was the first male Polish player to reach a grand slam semifinal when he lost to Scotsman Andy Murray 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 6-4 6-3 at Wimbledon this year. Flamboyant Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Alize Cornet have been seeded No.3, and Canadian young guns Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard round out the top four. Powerful left-hander Petra Kvitova and Radek Stepanek are capable of creating headaches despite being ranked fifth. Stepanek, the hero of consecutive Czech Republic Davis Cup wins in 2012 and 2013, is an accomplished doubles player. Kvitova has had success in Perth, the world No.7 combining with Tomas Berdych to win the 2012 Hopman title. Six months earlier, Kvitova won her first grand slam tournament title at Wimbledon, and by the end of 2011 she had also claimed the WTA Championship and achieved a career-high ranking of No.2. Italians Flavia Pennetta and Andreas Seppi, the No. 6 seeds, face an uphill battle, but Australians Samantha Stosur and Bernard Tomic, the seventh seeds out to win the host nation s first title since Mark Philippoussis and Jelena Dokic in 1999, will be dangerous if they hit top form. Spain s Tommy Robredo and Anabel Medina Garrigues are seeded No.8 but are genuine title contenders. Medina Garrigues is the defending titleholder and Robredo is a dual winner.
HOPMAN CUP XXVI Thursday, December 19, 2013 Stephens has the world at her feet Stephens Bridget Lacy This time last year Sloane Stephens was a relative unknown. But the 20-year-old well and truly announced herself at the Australian Open in January, steaming past world No.1 Serena Williams on the way to her first grand slam semifinal. That performance made Stephens a giant killer, but also marked her as one of the most exciting prospects in the game. Stephens is yet to record a WTA Tour title win but has shown she belongs in the big time, making the fourth round or better at all four grand slams this year as she climbed 26 ranking spots to No.12 in the world. Along with her stunning win over childhood idol Williams, she enjoyed victory over top-five ranked Maria Sharapova and is the youngest woman inside the top 20. Stephens has almost 79,000 Twitter followers, has appeared on popular US chat show Ellen and is the clear heir apparent to Williams. She has the world at her feet and is making her Hopman Cup debut as one half of the No.2 seeds. I had an awesome three weeks in Australia this year so I m looking forward to going to Perth and being able to play there, Stephens said. The $1 million mixed teams tournament has been a happy hunting ground for the Americans over its 25 years, claiming the trophy a record six times. Stephens will be partnered by a man who has been a regular visitor to Perth and knows how to win here John Isner. The big-serving 206cm 28-year-old first played the Hopman Cup in 2010. He won with Bethanie Mattek-Sands in 2011 and teamed with Venus Williams at the last event. The world No.14 is famous for playing in the longest match in the sport s history, winning his first-round Wimbledon contest in 2010 over Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-4 3-6 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (7-3) 70-68. The match lasted more than 11 hours. But his grand slam performances in general have been underwhelming. His 2011 quarterfinal loss at the US Open remains his best Sloane Stephens Born: 20/3/1993 Current ranking: 12 Highest ranking: 11 (12/10/13) Career singles titles: 0 Career doubles titles: 0 $2.1m result at a slam. A fourth-round appearance in 2010 is the deepest he has gone in Melbourne. He withdrew from the Australian Open last summer after injuring a knee in Perth, but this time he is hoping a WA appearance will help him reach greater heights at Melbourne Park. Every time I have played I ve enjoyed myself so much, Isner said. I absolutely love my time in Perth. For me playing the Hopman Cup is perfect preparation for the Australian Open. It allows me to get down there early, get used to the heat, and on top of that get top-notch, quality matches. A knee problem forced Isner to also retire early at Wimbledon. The giant American, who has won twice on the ATP Tour for three consecutive years, has admitted it is a problem he will have to manage. I had an MRI done and had people look at it, he said of the issue last month. I m not going to need surgery but there is an issue under my kneecap. It s about getting everything surrounding the knee stronger. It doesn t bother me at all when I m just walking around. But sometimes it hurts when I m doing something strenuous. I can t baby this knee forever. I need to push myself. Isner John Isner Born: 26/4/1985 Current ranking: 14 Highest ranking: 9 (16/4/12) Career singles titles: 7 Career doubles titles: 3 $5.7m
HOPMAN CUP XXVI thewest.com.au For all the latest news The schedule Group B Group A Poland (1) Agnieszka Radwanska and Jerzy Janowicz USA (2) Sloane Stephens and John Isner Canada (4) Eugenie Bouchard and Milos Raonic France (3) Alize Cornet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Italy (6) Flavia Pennetta and Andreas Seppi Czech Republic (5) Petra Kvitova and Radek Stepanekk Australia (7) Samantha Stosur and Bernard Tomic do Spain (8) Anabel Medina Garrigues and Tommy Robredo Session Day Date Time Team Session 1 Saturday December 28 10am Poland v Italy Session 2 Saturday December 28 5.30pm Canada v Australia Session 3 Sunday December 29 10am Czech Republic v Spain Session 4 Sunday December 29 5.30pm Poland v Canada Session 5 Monday December 30 10am USA v Spain Session 6 Monday December 30 5.30pm France v Czech Republic Session 7 Tuesday December 31 10am Italy v Australia Session 8 Wednesday January 1 5.30pm USA v France Session 9 Thursday January 2 10am Italy v Canada Session 10 Thursday January 2 5.30pm Poland v Australia Session 11 Friday January 3 10am France v Spain Session 12 Friday January 3 5.30pm Czech Republic v USA Session 13 Saturday January 4 5.30pm Winner Group A v Winner Group B TENNIS. FUN. FRIENDS The action never stops at Four Points Perth. Join us in The Best Brew bar before and after every match for tasty food, refreshing beers from all eight participating nations plus, join the fun with our virtual tennis competition and prizes. Four Points by Sheraton Perth CHECK US OUT AT FOURPOINTSPERTH.COM GREAT HOTELS. GREAT RATES. 2013 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Preferred Guest, SPG, Four Points and their logos are the trademarks of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., or its affiliates.
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thewest.com.au For all the latest news HOPMAN CUP XXVI Tsonga bounces back from injury Bridget Lacy Flamboyant Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be fully fit when he arrives in Perth for his second consecutive Hopman Cup this month. The world No.10 is one of the headline acts for the $1 million mixed teams event at Perth Arena, returning after being a popular debutant at the tournament in 2012-2013. My experience last year was great, Tsonga said. The Arena, the fans and everything surrounding the event made it special and thus I wanted to come back. It is a great preparation for Melbourne (the Australian Open) and I really enjoyed spending 10 days in Perth. Tsonga has had a mixed year thanks to the knee problem he suffered in the second round at Wimbledon and was forced to pull out of the US Open. Tsonga narrowly failed to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals, which is for the top eight players in the world, finishing the season ranked No.10. The 28-year-old peaked at a high of No.5 early in 2012, but he has dropped to his lowest ranking in more than two years in recent months largely due to the time it has taken to get over the niggling knee injury. Ahead of his arrival in Perth, Tsonga declared he was in good shape. The injury is behind me, he said. The doctors told me that it would be five months before it was completely back to normal and we are approaching this mark. 2013 carries mixed feelings for me. I had a good start of the season in Australia and a semifinal at my home tournament (the French Open) at Roland Garros. But since then the knee injury occupied most of my time and I have been unable to compete at the highest level. Tsonga had been due to play alongside Wimbledon winner Marion Bartoli at the Hopman Cup but was as shocked as anyone when she announced her retirement in the wake of the breakthrough win. He will now team with 23-year-old Alize Cornet, who is ranked No.27. I was surprised at first and felt for sure that Marion would come back within a few months, but now it is probably safe to say that she quit for good, he said. Tsonga has dumped Australian coach Roger Rasheed and hired countrymen Nicolas Escude and Thierry Ascione. He was unsure of any tweaks they would make to his game. Tsonga, who has been on the professional tour for almost a decade, first broke into the top 10 in 2008 the year he lost the Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic. He has not surrendered his top 10 ranking since the end of 2011 but is yet to break through for a grand slam title. I am working towards this goal and will always try my hardest, Tsonga said. My goals for 2014 are first to be injury free and then to play a role in the big events against the top guys. Tsonga and Cornet face the Czech Republic s Radek Stepanek and Petra Kvitova first-up on December 30. Tsonga Cornet Alize Cornet Born: 22/1/1990 Current ranking: 27 Highest ranking: 11 (16/2/09) Career singles titles: 3 Career doubles titles: 2 $2.5m Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Born: 17/4/1985 Current ranking: 10 Highest ranking: 5 (27/2/12) Career singles titles: 10 Career doubles titles: 4 $12.4m
HOPMAN CUP XXVI Thursday, December 19, 2013 Fo Perth gives Aussies chance to Ball in Tomic s court to forge grand career Tomic Nick Rynne Bernard Tomic is used to his name being in the headlines. The 21-year-old has earned the ire of officials and fans across the country by publicly and repeatedly displaying his fondness for bright lights, fast cars and the odd nightclub lap dance or two. Add an over-zealous tennis father slash coach to the mix and it could almost be the plot of a badly-written sports movie. But what often gets lost is the fact Tomic represents Australia s best hope of matching it with the best in the world once again. The Queenslander burst on to the scene as an 18-year-old in 2011, reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon before stumbling against world No.2 Novak Djokovic in a four-set defeat. More than 18 months of inconsistency were to follow, but when Tomic defeated Djokovic, who by then had climbed to No.1 in the world, at last year s Hopman Cup and followed it up with an inaugural singles title at the Sydney International, many were predicting 2013 would be his breakout year. Unfortunately, niggling injuries and an ongoing saga which saw his father John banned by the ATP for assaulting his son s hitting partner Thomas Drouet, meant he failed to get off the ground. Despite predicting a top-10 finish for himself, Tomic climbed just one place in 2013, finishing the year ranked No.51. He was knocked out in the opening round of his last five tournaments in a disastrous end to a forgettable 2013. But he did manage to mend fences with Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter, who had lambasted Tomic s attitude when dropping him from the team in 2012. Tomic and Rafter united in the bid to return Australia to the Davis Cup World Group. Rafter rated Tomic s attitude as the best he s seen it heading into September s clay court World Group play-off victory over Poland in Warsaw. We re really impressed with how he s been going, Rafter said. We re all starting to understand each other a bit better and we re all on the same page. Asked to put his finger on what had changed with Tomic s attitude, Rafter Samantha Stosur Born: 30/3/1984 Current ranking: 18 Highest ranking: 4 (21/2/11) Career singles titles: 5 Career doubles titles: 24 $13m said: I don t know. He s had to make the decision. He s slowly maturing maybe so fingers crossed that s the way it s going. But another Australian great, John Newcombe, this month warned Tomic he needed to train harder or be forced to live with regrets, citing the examples of Mark Philippoussis and axed Wallabies rugby star James O Connor. You can hit nightclubs, it depends when you hit them. If you re in off-season, you re going out it s fine (but not) if you re in the middle of a tournament or when you should be training hard, Newcombe said. In the end, it s going to come down to Bernie. What he decides he wants to be in his own mind. Leading into 2014, the Tomic camp is again optimistic of challenging the world s best over the next 12 months. Hopman Cup XXVI will be the big-serving right-hander s first tournament under new coach Velimir Zovko, who arrived in Australia earlier this month. The Croatian will act as an interim mentor to Tomic and work alongside his father. Speaking in the lead-up to the Perth tournament, Tomic declared a top-20 finish the goal for next year, taking a more conservative approach than last year s bold prediction. But rest assured, his long-term goals remain far grander. Generations will move on, for sure. In two or three years there will be no Federers, Tomic said. They will slowly start moving and four-five years from now it will be a totally different group of players in the top 10. It gives a chance for players like (Milos) Raonic and (Grigor) Dimitrov and myself to get into that spot, and take over and dominate. I ve got to stay positive, keep working, and my time will come to get to that stage. Love him or hate him, the Gold Coast party boy isn t going anywhere in a hurry. And if he can begin to live up to his soaring potential, the headlines may start to turn in his favour. Bernard Tomic Born: 21/10/1992 Current ranking: 51 Highest ranking: 27 (11/6/12) Career singles titles: 1 Career doubles titles: 0 $1.9m
d r thewest.com.au HOPMAN CUP XXVI 13 For all the latest news to go back to square one Sound season finish has Stosur hopeful for 2014 e e k Stosur Nick Rynne Samantha Stosur is accustomed to the nation s expectations weighing on her shoulders at this time of year. As Australia s best-performed singles player for some time now, the 29-year-old has always been expected to light up on her home turf. It is a position she has clearly been uncomfortable in. Over the past three seasons Stosur has defied her top-10 ranking to record early exits in all of her nine tournaments on Australian soil. A third-round loss to Petra Kvitova at the 2011 Australian Open was her best result. However, approaching Hopman Cup XXVI Stosur finds herself cast in a completely different role. This year, instead of everyone expecting her to dominate proceedings, they re just hoping she can rediscover her fight. The 2011 US Open champion finished last season ranked No.18 in the world, her worst result since 2008. It wasn t a season without highlights, her singles titles at Carlsbad and Osaka are testament to that, it s just that the lowlights came on far bigger stages. Stosur did reach the final in her last three tournaments, winning at Osaka before twice falling to Romanian Simona Halep at Moscow and Sofia. She s also found a new coach in Miles Maclagan, who has worked with Wimbledon champion Andy Murray. That s somewhere where I ve been the last few years and somewhere where I ve proved myself to be capable of being with those top girls, so I definitely want to try to get back to there, or hopefully even better, Stosur said. But the only way you can do that is by winning matches, and you ve got to do that in the biggest events and the goal has definitely got to be the grand slams., Major Prize: rt 2 tickets to the Australian Open Women's Final 1 night accommodation Flights for two from Perth to Melbourne Behind the scenes tour Australian Open pack valued at $200 MKT191213_2268844-1 PERTH ARENA hopmancup.com GET COURT UP IN THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN SERIES Competition closes midnight Sunday 22 December. For full terms and conditions visit thewest.com.au/competitions
thewest.com.au For all the latest news HOPMAN CUP XXVI Net gain for Canadian teen Russell Reid Teenager Eugenie Bouchard can t wait to exact some revenge against Samantha Stosur when Australia and Canada clash on December 28, the opening night of the Hyundai Hopman Cup. Stosur posted a three-set win against Bouchard to clinch the Japan Open in early October, the Australian finishing the year strongly with victory at Osaka before consecutive losses in the final of the Kremlin Cup and Tournament of Champions against emerging Romanian Simona Halep. It s funny because I just played her in the second last tournament of the year and now I will be starting out against her again in the first tournament of next season, Bouchard said. It will be fun to play in Australia. She will have the crowd advantage, but it will be really good. Obviously, she is a great player but I look forward to getting some revenge. Playing for the first time in Perth, Bouchard said she was glad for another chance to represent her country after playing Fed Cup ties earlier this year. This is like a team kind of thing too, she said. Tennis players play individual tournaments all year, so to have a few weeks out of the year where we play as a team and work together it s always fun to experience that. Bouchard said teaming up with world No.11 Milos Raonic, who has had his serve clocked at 255km/h, would be a bonus. We ve never played mixed doubles together so that will be interesting to see, Bouchard said. Milos is obviously a really good player and I will be relying on him to win some matches and serve some bombs in mixed doubles. I expect to do nothing, even at the net, because I just don t expect balls to come back on Milos service games. Bouchard hopes to follow in the footsteps of Raonic, who recently became the first Canadian player to break into the top 10. Milos has had some good success, which has increased the popularity of tennis in Canada. I hope to do the same. He s ended his year really well, which is good for him going into next year. I want to work hard and be as good as I can be and whatever that ranking is, we ll see. Bouchard is no stranger to chalking up firsts for her country, the 19-year-old becoming the first Canadian to win a grand slam singles title when she beat Ukrainian Elina Svitolina to claim the Wimbledon girls title in 2012. Achieving her best results at the famed grass tournament, Bouchard combined with Americans Grace Min and Taylor Townsend to win the junior Wimbledon doubles titles of 2011 and 2012. Bouchard said that doubles experience would come in handy in the Hopman Cup, where mixed doubles rubbers can decide ties. That gave me a lot of confidence and I was able to build on that and play well not only in the juniors but the pros (WTA tournaments), she said. This is my first full year on the (WTA) tour and I ve played all the pro grand slams, so it s a different taste. I got to see real life on the tour and how tough it is, week in and week out playing against great players, so I feel like I ve learnt a lot this year. Raonic Bouchard Eugenie Bouchard Born: 25/2/1994 Current ranking: 32 Highest ranking: 32 (14/10/13) Career singles titles: 0 Career doubles titles: 0 $505,000 Milos Raonic Born: 27/12/1990 Current ranking: 11 Highest ranking: 10 (12/8/13) Career singles titles: 5 Career doubles titles: 0 $3.7m
HOPMAN CUP XXVI Thursday, December 19, 2013 Kvitova faces pressure test Kvitova Bridget Lacy Last time Petra Kvitova came to Perth for the Hopman Cup she was tipped to be the new world No.1 within months. The big-hitting left-hander had broken into the top 10 for the first time at the beginning of 2011, before steamrolling her way to a Wimbledon title and then winning the WTA s season-ending tournament. In Perth, the then world No.2 teamed with Tomas Berdych to claim the championship and went on to produce her best Australian Open performance, an exit in the semifinals. But since then Kvitova has failed to live up to the hype. The 23-year-old is not sure what has held her back since her incredible performances two years ago. But she does admit to letting the pressure of expectation get the better of her. It was for me testing to be on the top and to handle the pressure, Kvitova revealed. When I get for the first time top 10, when I won Wimbledon, there was a lot of pressure on my back and I really felt it and it was tough to get used to. And it s still there. I am almost always favourite so it s not easy every time and you have to be ready for it. Kvitova believes she is handling the mental stress better now but says it is a constant battle. Her 2011 results show what she is capable of, so she hopes her best tennis is still ahead of her. That season in 2011 I know that it s hard to repeat and I am very determined to get back to my form of 2011, Kvitova said. I hope that slowly I am trying to find the good game again. The world No.6 described her 2013 as up and down but said a strong finish had given her confidence. I felt very good on the court, comfortable, I moved very well, so it s a very good sign for next season, Kvitova said. I have a lot that I can improve. I have a new fitness coach, so I am trying to improve my fitness I want to improve my serve. I can t say any number (of tournament wins I want to achieve in 2014) but I would like to have a better result in grand slams next year. Kvitova returns to WA for the $1 million mixed teams event focused on winning the trophy again for the Czech Republic, this time joining forces with veteran Radek Stepanek. The pair are believed to be dating but have never played doubles together. He is a great doubles specialist, he has a great volley, so I hope we can be a good team on the court, Kvitova said. She said she was looking forward to experiencing Perth Arena for the first time. It was great in 2012, Kvitova said. I enjoyed it a lot, it was my first time and we won it, so it is always nice memories and I am looking forward to being there again. You are promised to play at least three matches. I saw some pictures (of the Arena) and it s looking beautiful, so that s one of the new things that I am really looking forward to. Kvitova plans to arrive in Perth early and hopes to explore the city and hit the beach. Stepanek Petra Kvitova Born: 8/3/1990 Left-handed Current ranking: 6 Highest ranking: 2 (31/10/11) Career singles titles: 11 Career doubles titles: 0 $11.8m Radek Stepanek Born: 27/11/1978 Current ranking: 44 Highest ranking: 8 (10/7/06) Career singles titles: 5 Career doubles titles: 17 $9.6m
thewest.com.au For all the latest news HOPMAN CUP XXVI Late bloomer Seppi mixes his form Russell Reid Andreas Seppi is out to improve his Hopman Cup singles form and maintain an unbeaten mixed doubles record. World No.25 Seppi lost each of his singles matches at Hopman Cup XXV last January, beaten by Serbia s Novak Djokovic, Australian Bernard Tomic and German veteran Tommy Haas on his debut at the unique Perth event. Seppi had more joy in the mixed, partnering Francesca Schiavone to three wins in as many matches against Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic, Tomic and Ashleigh Barty and Haas and Tatjana Malek at Perth Arena. The Perth tournament proved to be a launch pad for the smooth-stroking Italian, who reached the semifinals of the Sydney International the following week before losing to eventual champion Tomic. Seppi broke into the top 20 for the first time later that month after qualifying for the fourth round at the Australian Open, beating Argentina s Horacio Zeballos, Uzbekistan s Denis Istomin and Croatian Marin Cilic before bowing out to Frenchman Jeremy Chardy. The 29-year-old had mixed results for the balance of the year, the highlights being a quarterfinal loss to Djokovic in Dubai (extending Seppi s winless record against Djokovic to 11-0) and a fourth-round loss to Scotsman Andy Murray in Miami. Seppi is a late bloomer. He didn t win his first ATP tournament until 2011, beating Serbian Janko Tipsarevic in the final at Eastbourne. It was a day of breakthroughs for Seppi, who also became the first Italian to win an ATP tournament on grass. Seppi and partner Flavia Pennetta have the chance to notch another first for their country, hoping to help guide the Italians to a first Hopman title from eight attempts. Paolo Cane and Laura Golarsa did best for Italy when they reached the quarterfinals at the second Hopman Cup in the summer of 1989-90. Like Seppi, Pennetta is accustomed to leading the way for her country. The 31-year-old became Italy s first top 10 female singles player in August 2009 and the first Italian player to be ranked No.1 in doubles in February 2011. Pennetta reached her first grand slam singles semifinal at this year s US Open, defeating higher-ranked opponents Sara Errani, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Simona Halep and Roberta Vinci in the early rounds before succumbing to world No.2 Victoria Azarenka. Pennetta last played at the Hopman Cup in 2009, the year Slovak Republic pair Dominik Hrbaty and Dominika Cibulkova beat Russians Marat Safin and Dinara Safina to claim the crown. After losing to Safina (7-5 6-3) and Frenchwoman Alize Cornet (7-5 6-2), Pennetta recovered to win her last singles match against Chinese Taipei s Hsieh Su-Wei (7-5 6-3). Cornet also returns for Hopman Cup XXVI but, with France and Italy in different groups, Pennetta is unlikely to avenge that defeat five years ago. Flavia Pennetta Born: 25/2/1982 Current ranking: 31 Highest ranking: 10 (17/8/09) Career singles titles: 9 Career doubles titles: 15 $7.4m Andreas Seppi Born: 21/2/1984 Current ranking: 25 Highest ranking: 18 (28/1/13) Career singles titles: 3 Career doubles titles: 0 $5.5m
HOPMAN CUP XXVI Thursday, December 19, 2013 A walk down memory lane Emilio Sanchez James Blake Serena Williams Roger Federer Arantxa Sanchez Vicario Martina Hingis Honour roll Hopman Cup I (1989) Czechoslovakia (Helena Sukova/Miloslav Mecir) b Australia (Hana Mandlikova/Pat Cash) 2-0. Hopman Cup II (1990) Spain (Arantxa Sanchez Vicario/Emilio Sanchez) b USA (Pam Shriver/John McEnroe) 2-1. Hopman Cup III (1991) Yugoslavia (Monica Seles/Goran Prpic) b USA (Zina Garrison/David Wheaton) 3-0. Hopman Cup IV (1992) Switzerland (Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere/Jakob Hlasek) b Czechoslovakia (Helena Sukova/ Karel Novacek) 2-1. Hopman Cup V (1993) Germany (Steffi Graf/Michael Stich) b Spain (Arantxa Sanchez/Emilio Sanchez) 2-1. Hopman Cup VI (1994) Czech Republic (Jana Novotna/Petr Korda) b Germany (Anke Huber/Bernd Karbacher) 2-1. Hopman Cup VII (1995) Germany (Anke Huber/Boris Becker) b Ukraine (Natalia Medvedeva/Andrei Medvedev) 3-0. Hopman Cup VIII (1996) Croatia (Iva Majoli/Goran Ivanisevic) b Switzerland (Martina Hingis/Marc Rosset) 2-1. Hopman Cup IX (1997) USA (Chanda Rubin/Justin Gimelstob) b South Africa (Amanda Coetzer/Wayne Ferreira) 2-1. Hopman Cup X (1998) Slovak Republic (Karina Habsudova/Karol Kucera) b France (Mary Pierce/Guy Forget) 2-1. Hopman Cup XI (1999) Australia (Jelena Dokic/Mark Philippoussis) b Sweden (Asa Carlsson/Jonas Bjorkman) 2-1. Hopman Cup XII (2000) South Africa (Amanda Coetzer/Wayne Ferreira) b Thailand (Tamarine Tanasugarn/Paradorn Schrichaphan) 3-0. Hopman Cup XIII (2001) Switzerland (Martina Hingis/Roger Federer) b USA (Monica Seles/Jan Michael Gambill) 2-1. Hopman Cup XIV (2002) Spain (Arantxa Sanchez/Tommy Robredo) b USA (Monica Seles/Jan Michael Gambill) 2-1. Hopman Cup XV (2003) USA (Serena Williams/James Blake) b Australia (Alicia Molik/Lleyton Hewitt) 3-0. Hopman Cup XVI (2004) USA (Lindsay Davenport/James Blake) b Slovak Republic (Daniela Hantuchova/Karol Kucera) 2-1. Hopman Cup XVII (2005) Slovak Republic (Daniela Hantuchova/Dominik Hrbaty) b Argentina (Gisela Dulko/ Guillermo Coria) 3-0. Hopman Cup XVIII (2006) USA (Lisa Raymond/Taylor Dent) b Netherlands (Michaella Krajicek/Peter Wessels) 2-1. Hopman Cup XIX (2007) Russia (Nadia Petrova/Dmitry Tursunov) b Spain (Tommy Robredo/Anabel Medina- Garrigues) 2-0. Hopman Cup XX (2008) USA (Serena Williams/Mardy Fish) b Serbia (Jelena Jankovic/Novak Djokovic) 2-1. Hopman Cup XXI (2009) Slovak Republic (Dominika Cibulkova/Dominik Hrbaty) b Russia (Dinara Safina/Marat Safin) 2-0. Hopman Cup XXII (2010) Spain (Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez/Tommy Robredo) b Great Britain (Laura Robson/Andy Murray) 2-1. Hopman Cup XXIII (2011) USA (Bethanie Mattek-Sands/John Isner) b Belgium (Justine Henin/Ruben Bemelmans) 2-1. Hopman Cup XXIV (2012) Czech Republic (Petra Kvitova/Tomas Berdych) b France (Marion Bartoli/Richard Gasquet) 2-0. Hopman Cup XXV (2013) Spain (Anabel Medina Garrigues/Fernando Verdasco) b Serbia (Ana Ivanovic/Novak Djokovic) 2-1.
thewest.com.au For all the latest news HOPMAN CUP XXVI Heroine returns for more glory Russell Reid The form of Anabel Medina Garrigues will be a key in Spain s title defence at the Hopman Cup. Wily Medina Garrigues was the heroine when Spain beat red-hot favourites Serbia to claim the 25th chapter of Perth s $1 million ITF mixed teams event last January. Medina Garrigues won a gruelling 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 rubber lasting two hours and 39 minutes against Ana Ivanovic to keep her country s title hopes alive before teaming with Fernando Verdasco to claim the deciding doubles 6-4 7-5. Left-hander Verdasco had battled bravely against Novak Djokovic before being beaten 6-3 7-5 by the world No.1. It wasn t the first time Medina Garrigues had rescued her country at Perth Arena. The 31-year-old also won singles matches against Chanelle Scheepers and Mathilde Johansson to keep ties alive against South Africa and France after Verdasco lost to Kevin Anderson and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Verdasco conceded after the final that his partner had done the lion s share of the work in the title win and offered Medina Garrigues his silver and 18-carat gold diamond encrusted tennis ball. Because I think you won both balls, I need to give you my ball, Verdasco said after their triumph against Ivanovic and Djokovic. She won almost all her matches in singles and all the doubles. So you are the winner and I don t know what I m doing here. Making her feats at Hopman Cup XXV all the more remarkable, Medina Garrigues revealed she had battled a back injury before the tournament. If not for her physiotherapist, Medina Garrigues could have joined the event s casualty list. West Australian Casey Dellacqua pulled out before the tournament with a foot injury and Germany s Andrea Petkovic (knee) and Tommy Haas (toe), the USA s John Isner (knee) and Frenchman Tsonga (hamstring) all withdrew during the week. Medina Garrigues is an accomplished singles player but her strength is in doubles, having teamed with countrywoman Virginia Ruano Pascual to win the 2008 and 2009 French Open doubles crowns. Playing with a different partner in Tommy Robredo in Perth this summer, Medina Garrigues will need to reproduce that form if Spain are to be genuine contenders. Robredo is attempting to become the first player to win three Hopman titles after teaming with wily veteran Arantxa Sanchez to win in 2002 and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in 2010. Robredo and Medina Garrigues experience will be crucial as Spain attempt to win a fifth Hopman Cup. Only USA (six titles) have won more, while the Slovak Republic have won three. Robredo, also 31, has been a regular in Spanish Davis Cup teams and the top 20 in his 15 years on the world tour, reaching a career-high No.5 in August 2006. A serious leg injury caused Robredo s ranking to plummet to 471 in May last year, but the Spaniard improved that mark by 453 places to 18 before the end of 2013. Spain have surprisingly been seeded eighth of the eight competing nations at the 26th chapter of Perth s mixed teams event. Medina Garrigues Robredo Anabel Medina Garrigues Born: 31/7/1982 Current ranking: 100 Highest ranking: 16 (4/5/09) Career singles titles: 11 Career doubles titles: 21 $5.3m Tommy Robredo Born: 1/5/1982 Current ranking: 18 Highest ranking: 5 (28/8/06) Career singles titles: 12 Career doubles titles: 5 $10.5m
JOIN SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS AND DORA THE EXPLORER AT KIDS TENNIS DAY PRESENTED BY NICKELODEON! Head down to Perth Arena on Saturday 28 December to purchase your adult tickets from the box office, and bring the kids and grandkids along for free!* For more info on Kids Tennis Day visit hopmancup.com/kidstennisday *Applies to children 16 years of age and under. Free Junior available in Silver Reserved Seating ticket day session only. Subject to availability. KIDS TENNIS DAY 28 DEC 2013 PERTH ARENA hopmancup.com