TENNIS in DEPTH.

Canadian Milos Raonic is trying to start the new season even better than he did a year ago. The No.23 seed had his work cut out for him on Thursday, working his way past Philipp Petzschner 6-4 5-7 6-2 7-5 on Show Court 3. It was in Australia that Raonic qualified for the main draw last year before making a tear to the fourth round, breaking through for the first time at a slam and making tennis enthusiasts take notice. In 2012, he already has a title to his name and booked his place in the third round with the four-set, nearly three-hour win. Raonic made an impressive start to 2012 by winning the ATP stop in Chennai where he beat Top 10 players Nicolas Almagro and Janko Tipsarevic on his way to his second career title. He also won in San Jose in 2011. Thursday morning he and Petzschner, the German ranked No.63, locked horns into the early afternoon. Raonic used a break in the first game of the match to secure the first set 6-4, his serve ticking along just fine, bolstered by his forehand. Raonic won the set when he served out wide to Petzschner, then clocked a forehand winner crosscourt to take the set. But Petzschner worked his way into the match in the second, frustrating the Canadian by bringing him into net and often passing him or forcing an error. Petzschner, an accomplished doubles player, used a drop volley winner to take a 2-1 lead. “I was struggling a little bit, I don’t know why,” Raonic said. “He started well and just put a lot more pressure on me.” It was in the tenth game of the second set that Petzschner was really able to put pressure on the Raonic serve. He held three set points at 0-40 only to watch Raonic rocket three service winners at him. At 5-6, however, Raonic made a series of errors, including a backhand long when Petzschner rushed the net, giving the 27-year-old German the set, 7-5.

Petzschner fought off a break point in the fifth game of the fourth set before Raonic had to dig out of another 0-40 hole in game eight. The seeded player looked destined to close out the match when he broke in the next game, running down a drop shot to flick a spectacular crosscourt winner before forcing Petzschner into a half-volley error. But Raonic couldn’t serve it out at 5-4 in the fourth, needing to break Petzschner for the second time in as many games and the fifth time in the match in game 12. He won the tie just short of the three-hour mark when Petzschner batted a forehand long. “I know he can play really well,” Raonic explained. “My goal was really just to stick with him [until] I get my opportunities.” Raonic’s big serve provided plenty of opportunities, clocking at 225 KMH at one point in the match. Raonic bashed 15 aces to Petzschner’s 10. The two men seemingly traded stats: Raonic hit 43 winners to Petzschner’s 43 unforced errors. The German hit 37 winners to Raonic’s 38 unforced errors.

He is a name that many are keeping their eye on after he raced through the Chennai draw and seemed to have a special place in his heart for the courts at Melbourne. Counting his wins in qualifying he is 8-1 over the last two years here. But Raonic’s early success in 2011 wasn’t for nothing. He was named the tour’s Newcomer of the Year and reaching a career-high ranking of No.25 after starting the year No.152.

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The Czech Republic has won the Hyundai Hopman Cup for the second time with top seeds Petra Kvitova and Tomas Berdych going right through the week unbeaten in singles ending with the Final inside the Burswood Dome on Saturday against France’s Marion Bartoli and Richard Gasquet. World No. 2 Kvitova finished off her outstanding week and debut in Perth by beating world No. 9 Frenchwoman Bartoli 7-5, 6-1 in the women’s singles to give the Czechs a winning start and then the seventh ranked Berdych finished the job beating former world No. 7 Gasquet 7-6, 6-4. It is the Czech Republic’s second Hopman Cup title after Jana Novotna and Petr Korda won the sixth tournament in 1994 by beating Germany’s Anke Huber and Bernd Karbacher in the Final.

Now in the nation’s eighth appearance at the Hyundai Hopman Cup, Kvitova and Berdych have added their names to the list of champions and also made the Czech Republic just the sixth country to win the Cup at least twice along with the USA (six times), Slovak Republic (three), Spain (three), Switzerland (two) and Germany (two). It has been an outstanding week in Perth for the Czech pair who now both have every reason to have confidence of contending for the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne at the Australian Open. Kvitova is fresh off an amazing 2011 that included a Wimbledon crown, the Fed Cup and being the ITF World Champion and WTA Player of the Year, and now her 2012 has got off to an outstanding start. This week she has beaten defending American Hopman Cup champion Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova, world No. 1 from Denmark Caroline Wozniacki and then in the Final France’s Bartoli. ”It was a really good match (against Wozniacki) but today I played much better against Marion and it’s always tough to play with someone at the top,” Kvitova said. ”It’s really good to win at the beginning of the season and of course I have to say thank you to Tomas because without him we wouldn’t win. ”You played really unbelievable and it was an honour to play with you. And of course with our team, with them it’s always really fun. It’s really enjoyable in Perth and of course I have to say thank you to Hopman Cup.”

Berdych was playing for the Czech Republic at the Hopman Cup for the third time and also went through undefeated in his men’s singles matches with American Mardy Fish, Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, Denmark’s Frederik Nielsen and then France’s Gasquet in the Final. ”It couldn’t be better, it was an extremely great week and first of all I need to congratulate my partner. She won all she can and I just add some winnings again and now we can be standing here and have such a nice trophy so it was really good week,” Berdych said. ”I think it was possibly the best Final that could come of those two Groups and we are happy for that. We would like to congratulate them as well to get the Final and wish them both the best of luck for the rest of the season, for the Australian Open and all of the weeks. I think everybody enjoyed it, we had the best time on court and I hope the people liked it.”

France also had a tremendous week in Perth, though, as Bartoli and Gasquet got their nation into the Hopman Cup Final for the second time, but the French are still chasing that elusive first title. Bartoli might have lost tight encounters with Kvitova and world No. 5 Li Na, but did beat Australia’s Jarmila Gajdosova and Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues impressively. Gasquet has this week shown the form that saw him reach the world No. 7 ranking in 2007 by beating Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt, Spain’s Fernando Verdasco and China’s Wu Di.

The attendance for Hyundai Hopman Cup XXIV, which will be the last at Perth’s Burswood Dome before the tournament moves to the new Perth Arena, was 8365 to take the total for the week to an impressive 72,776.

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The big-hitting 26-year-old has produced upset wins over seeds Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Andrea Petkovic and Francesca Schiavone to reach the final and produced the same superb form against Hantuchova. She was particularly devastating early in the second set, dropping just a solitary point in the first four games as she powered towards the biggest win of her career to date, adding to the title she won in Palermo in 2010.  That dominant start to the second set in fact extended Kanepi’s run to nine games in succession from 1-2 in the opener. Hantuchova should have been the fresher of the two players, having been granted a quarter-final walkover following Serena Williams’ withdrawal and then won her semi-final when Kim Clijsters retired during the second set. But Kanepi’s giant-killing run had seen her build momentum and she won 82% of points on her first serve as she recorded her first victory in four career meetings with the Slovakian, eventually finishing the encounter with her fourth match point.

The victory is set to lift Kanepi from 34th to 26th in the WTA rankings, ensuring she will be seeded for the Australian Open. Hantuchova will rise from 24 to 21.

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Czech Republic booked their spot in the final of the Hopman Cup after Petra Kvitova and Tomas Berdych helped them to victory over Denmark. Kvitova set up the win when she put her country 1-0 up by beating Caroline Wozniacki 7-6 3-6 6-4 in a battle between the top two players in the world. Berdych then cruised past Frederik Nielsen 6-1 6-3 to give the Czechs an unassailable lead and a place alongside France in the final of the mixed gender team event. Although there were no WTA ranking points on offer Kvitova and Wozniacki gave it their all, with the former eventually emerging victorious after a contest that featured numerous swings of momentum. Kvitova had played down the importance of the clash beforehand but said afterwards that the result would give her a confidence boost heading into the Australian Open. ”It was a great match from both of us,” the Wimbledon champion said. ”I am glad that I won because it was a small test of how we are prepared for the Aussie Open. Caroline played very well and it was a close match.”

Despite the defeat, Wozniacki will take plenty of positives from her performance and is confident she will improve with more time on court. ”I didn’t feel like I was playing my best tennis in my first two matches, but I worked on some things yesterday that I wanted to improve,” Wozniacki said. ”I felt like we both played some good tennis out there and it could have gone either way. I feel like my form is starting to go up and I always play better with a few matches under my belt.”

In a match of contrasting styles, Kvitova hit twice as many errors as her more defensively-minded opponent, with the more aggressive approach paying off in the deciding set. Both Kvitova and Berdych and have gone unbeaten through their rubbers in the group stage, meaning Czech Republic have wrapped up victory in every match so far before the mixed doubles contest.

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Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova and Grigor Dimitrov has ensured that Group A at Hyundai Hopman Cup XXIV remains wide open after beating Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki and Frederik Nielsen 2-1 at Session 7 at Perth’s Burswood Dome today. Denmark got off to a good start when world No. 1 Wozniacki won her women’s singles match over Pironkova 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 but then exciting Bulgarian youngster Dimitrov beat Nielsen 7-6, 6-2 to force a deciding mixed doubles. That ended up going to the Match Tie-break as well after Denmark won the first set 6-3 and Bulgaria the second 6-4. Pironkova and Dimitrov dominated the Match Tie-break, though, 10 points to one to win the first Tie at the Hopman Cup for their nation in their debut appearance. The result in favour of Bulgaria also makes sure that Group A remains wide open in the race for Saturday’s Final. Denmark and Bulgaria have now won a Tie each as have the top-seeded Czech Republic but the fourth-seeds USA are yet to notch a victory. However, the American team of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Mardy Fish will face the Czech pairing of Petra Kvitova and Tomas Berdych tonight in Session 8 of Hyundai Hopman Cup XXIV. A Czech Republic win would mean they are in prime position to make the Final heading into Friday’s Tie with Denmark, but if the USA are victorious then Friday’s double-header will see all four teams from Group A still capable of earning a spot in the Final.

The Tie began with Wozniacki having to fight hard for the second straight time in her women’s singles clash, but the world No. 1 came out victorious to open Session 7 with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Pironkova. The match lasted 2hrs 32mins to be the longest women’s singles clash this week so far. After the 21-year-old Dane made a whirlwind flight from Thailand to Perth on Monday to take on the USA’s Bethanie Mattek-Sands and end up winning 7-6, 6-2, she was again challenged strongly by her Bulgarian opponent. Pironkova might be ranked No. 46 in the world, but has beaten the likes of Venus Williams and Vera Zvonareva twice in her career already, and came out strongly against Wozniacki. The 24-year-old broke Wozniacki’s serve in the third game of the first set and then went up 4-2, but the world No. 1 quickly hit back to level things at 4-4, 5-5 and then broke Pironkova’s serve to take out the opening set 7-5 in 69 minutes. It was again Pironkova who started strongly in the second set as she raced to a 3-1 and then 4-2 advantage. This time she was able to maintain it to take out the set 6-4 to send the contest into a deciding third set. The third set was all the world No. 1, though, as she won it 6-2 to give Denmark a winning start to the Tie fresh off their win over the USA on Monday night as well. Dimitrov then won his men’s singles clash over Nielsen 7-6, 6-2. Nielsen, though, was coming off an outstanding three-set performance against American Mardy Fish on Monday night and Dimitrov also took it up to Czech Tomas Berdych on Monday. That set up a tight tussle between the Bulgarian and Dane. The first set was an especially hotly-contested battle. There was no break of serve despite both players, but especially Dimitrov, having plenty of break points. It went to the tie-break and Dimitrov was able to open up an early 6-2 advantage. Nielsen did hit back to be within 5-6, but the Bulgarian was able to hold serve for the last point to secure the set seven points to five. The Bulgarian then eventually capitalised on a break point opportunity in the first game of the second set to take Nielsen’s serve and from there the 20-year-old cruised through to take it out 6-2.

Then in the mixed doubles, it was the Denmark pair who made the bright start taking out the first set 6-3. However, Pironkova and Dimitrov hit back in the second winning it 6-4 any cruised to the Match Tie-break victory to heat things up in Group A of Hyundai Hopman Cup XXIV.

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World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki had an unusual preparation for her Hyundai Hopman Cup debut on Monday evening against the USA, but it was all for a worthy cause and once she landed in Perth, and helped Frederik Nielsen to a victory over the Americans it was all well and truly worth it. The Danish pair were making their debuts at the Hopman Cup as well against two former winners of the tournament in the form of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Mardy Fish, and performed tremendously. Nielsen took the world No. 8 Fish to three tough sets, Wozniacki then prevailed over Mattek-Sands and the Danish duo finished off by winning the mixed doubles. However, Wozniacki’s journey to play in her first Tie was quite the whirlwind one.

The 21-year-old world No. 1 brought in the New Year in Thailand and then played world No. 3 Victoria Azarenka on Sunday in a charity tournament to raise money for the victims of the Thailand floods. She then flew out of Thailand on Monday and landed in Perth late that afternoon, came straight from the airport to the Burswood Dome, had a hit while Nielsen was playing Fish on Centre Court and then took on Mattek-Sands herself in the women’s singles. It made for quite the eventual debut at the Hopman Cup for Wozniacki, but she enjoyed the whole experience and wouldn’t change a thing.

“It’s been a big day. It’s been a long day but it’s been a good day. I’m just happy that we played really well and I really enjoyed that mixed doubles. I always have fun and there’s absolutely no pressure on the girls so all the pressures on the men so I like that,” Wozniacki said. ”I spent New Year’s there and last night I played a charity match for the floods in Thailand. I just flew in a few hours before my match, went straight here and warmed up. Frederik was playing an unbelievable match against Mardy so I had a little bit of time to settle down and went in and played my singles and played the mixed.” Straight after her and Nielsen’s mixed doubles win over Mattek-Sands and Fish late on Monday evening, Wozniacki was keen to catch up on some rest but then also check out some of the sights of Perth. ”I will probably have some good food and back to bed. I’ll sleep in and have some good breakfast, the most important meal for me and then just have a light hit,” she said. ”Then probably a light gym session and then maybe get out and see Perth a little. It’s my first time so I’m really happy to be here and the crowd were amazing so thank you everybody for coming out and supporting.”

Wozniacki might not have been in Perth long, but playing in the Hyundai Hopman Cup is something she has long wanted to do and it has certainly lived it up to everything she imagined so far after one Session. ”I love being here. The crowd is amazing and I’ve watched the Hopman Cup on TV so many times,” Wozniacki said. ”To have the opportunity to play here is just great and I can see there’s a lot of Danish people here as well so that’s fantastic.”

Courtesy of Chris Pike

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Li Na did her bit but it wasn’t enough to lift China to victory in their Hopman Cup teams tennis clash with France in Perth on Saturday. Li came from a set down to defeat world No.9 Marion Bartoli 2-6 6-2 6-4 in the women’s singles but was forced to watch on helplessly as compatriot Wu Di was crushed 6-1 6-3 by Richard Gasquet in the men’s singles. France then romped to victory in the deciding mixed doubles, with Bartoli and Gasquet needing just 42 minutes to sweep to the 6-1 6-1 triumph. Earlier, Bartoli appeared on track for a straight-sets win in the women’s singles after taking the first set in 44 minutes before setting up two break points early in the second set. But Li, who has struggled to recapture top form since winning the French Open earlier this year, showed far more urgency from that point on, winning the last four games of the second set before grinding down Bartoli in the decider.

“At the beginning of the match she was playing so fast. I was like ‘what’s going on’,” Li said. “But after three or four games I got used to it.” Li said her French Open success in May had changed her life in so many ways, but may have also adversely affected her performances. “If I go somewhere to play a tournament, more people know who I am. I lose concentration on the court. I’m only focusing on the photo shooting,” she said with a laugh. “It’s tough after winning a big title, (maintaining) the concentration.”

Australia’s unseeded pairing of Lleyton Hewitt and Jarmila Gajdosova kick off their campaign on Sunday against third-seeded Spaniards Fernando Verdasco and Anabel Medina Garrigues.

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Novak Djokovic will be determined to defend his title and maintain his world No.1 position, while Roger Federer’s year-end win in London sees him eyeing off a sixth Australian Open title and the honour of becoming the tournament’s 100th men’s singles champion. Rafael Nadal will put his disappointing 2011 season behind him and Andy Murray, twice a finalist in Melbourne, is desperate for a Grand Slam breakthrough.

Australia’s own US Open champion Sam Stosur leads a new generation of Grand Slam winners in contention for the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, and French Open winner Li Na will be joined by defending champion Kim Clijsters and five-time AO winner Serena Williams, both returning from injury. World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki is still in the hunt for her maiden Grand Slam, while former champion Maria Sharapova is showing all the signs of returning to winning form. Only world No.13 Robin Soderling and No.69 Alisa Kleybanova, both currently battling illness, are missing from the ranks.

The 104 direct acceptances into the men’s draw include Tommy Haas, Fernando Gonzalez, Benjamin Becker and Paul-Henri Mathieu, all of whom used their injury protected rankings. The women’s draw includes 108 direct acceptances, with Timea Bacsinszky and Anna Chakvetadze both using protected rankings as they return from injury. Venus Williams, currently ranked 105, has also made the cut. Williams hasn’t played since withdrawing from her second-round US Open match after being diagnosed with autoimmune disease Sjögren’s Syndrome.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said he was thrilled with the line-up. “It’s incredible to once again have every available top player in both the men’s and women’s fields heading to play the Australian Open. “These superstars of world sport love coming to Melbourne. They love the Australian Open and the fans, the city, the facilities at Melbourne Park and the way we look after them while they are here.

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