} catch(err) {}

Australian pair knock US team out.

by bahamaderek on Jan.05, 2010, under 2010 Hopman Cup, Lleyton Hewitt, Samantha Stosur

Australia bounced back from a disappointing opening Tie loss with Samantha Stosur and Lleyton Hewitt dominating the USA’s Melanie Oudin and John Isner to win the Tie 2-1.

Stosur rebounded from her opening day loss to Romania’s Sorana Cirstea to get the better of 18-year-old American Oudin 6-2, 6-4. Hewitt then backed up his hard fought win over Victor Hanescu by dominating giant American John Isner 6-1, 7-5.

The Americans then fought back in the mixed doubles from a set down to win in the third set Match Tie-break 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10/5).

The win keeps Australia’s hopes of making Saturday’s Final alive, but it will all come down to winning the remaining Tie on Thursday against Spanish pair Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Tommy Robredo, and then hoping other results go their way.

The USA’s chances of winning a sixth Hopman Cup is over for another year with Oudin and Isner winning just the one rubber from six so far.

Stosur started strongly with her power game in full swing against the American teenager. The Australian world No. 13 raced to a 6-2 first lead and then 4-2 in the second before a brief rally back from Oudin.

The American was broken twice in the first set, but held serve four of the five times in the second, but that one break was enough for Stosur to secure the victory 6-4.

“I definitely wanted to make sure that if I got that lead then I was able to close it out, and I played well from the first to the last point.”

Isner’s big game was on song for much of his game on Sunday against Robredo before he fell in three sets, but Hewitt didn’t let him settle by putting on a display of his very best hitting, running and overall court play to race to a 5-0 lead and then win the first set 6-1.

The second set was a much tighter affair with neither player giving an inch over the first 10 games. Hewitt then took hold of the match again, though, by breaking the American to go up 6-5 and then he won 7-5 to secure the Tie for Australia.

Australia again asserted its dominance to begin the mixed doubles in terrific fashion winning the first set 6-2. America didn’t want to lose their first six rubbers of the Cup, though, and won the second set 6-1 and then in the Match Tie-break 10 points to five.

The loss means Australia has now lost seven straight mixed doubles encounters in the Hopman Cup.

Australia will next play Spain on Thursday while the other two teams in Group A, Spain and Romania, will do battle in tonight’s Session 6.

Related Posts:

:, ,

1 Comment for this entry

  • Randy Cowee
    January 16th, 2010 on 1:21 pm

    It’s good that you took the time to write this post; it’s encouraging to see another’s point of view. I appreciate your work on this site, and I’ll come back for more information.


Bloglisting.net - The internets fastest growing blog directory Listed in LS Blogs the Blog Directory and Blog Search Engine Blog Directory Tennis in Depth. at Blogged
Alpha Inventions Ranking