Black Tennis Pros

Watching American Meghann Shaughnessy stand there as returned balls whizzed by her was as painful as a root canal! I can't count the number of times that I yelled, "what the hell are you doing?" I'm still shaking my head wondering who thought that this was a bright idea.

When is the last time that this woman won anything significant? Surely there had to be SOMEBODY else available who is at least seemingly on the upswing. And to make matters worse, she is returning from an injury. Oh good gracious.

James Blake may as well run around and scratch his butt, he would still be more productive than Shaughnessy.

During the post match interview last night after their mixed doubles match against Australians Casey Dellacqua and Lleyton Hewitt, Shaughnessy said that she told Blake "you've got to cover me, I'm not moving so well." Oh, so she was moving?

Now, I realize that Hopman Cup isn't a tour tournament, but come on! Shaughnessy has lost each of her singles events and barely assisted in the mixed doubles events.

When Serena pulled out at the end of last year, I was definitely disappointed since she and Blake are former title holders and the USA is the defending champion, but I at least thought that someone with an ounce of game would be selected to replace her.

James Blake has literally been a one person Hopman Cup team...I wonder if that's a first, hmmm.

Yet, I continue to torcher myself by watching this madness nightly. Oh well...

Photos Getty Images

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Slovakia stunned defending champions the United States at the Hopman Cup on Monday.

Dominik Hrbaty completed the surprise triumph with a three-set victory over James Blake after Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova had beaten Meghann Shaughnessy in the opening rubber.

Hrbaty and Cibulkova later completed a 3-0 whitewash of the US by winning the mixed doubles 6-4 7-6.

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Serbia put up a brave fight, but Serena Williams and Mardy Fish have powered the United States to its fifth Hyundai Hopman Cup victory to continue its dominance in the 20-year-old ITF mixed teams championship at Perth’s Burswood Dome.

The USA didn’t win until the ninth staging of the tournament, but has now won five times, including four in the past six years. Williams previously was victorious in 2003 with James Blake, while it was Fish’s first win in his second appearance.

Credit must be given to the top seeds Serbia, who continued to fight despite Jankovic being restricted due to a strained muscle at the top of her right hamstring.

Djokovic had an outstanding week in Perth, needing to make up for Jankovic being unable to finish three of her singles matches. Djokovic ended up undefeated in his singles, with the final the only loss in the mixed doubles for the pair of world No. 3s.

The USA was handed the advantage when Jankovic was unable to play the women’s singles, but Djokovic ensured the mixed doubles would decide the winner by beating Fish in a gruelling three-set battle.

After a fast start, Serbia couldn’t match it with two accomplished doubles players, with the Americans wrapping up the win 7-6 (5), 6-2.

Already exhausted from his mammoth performance the previous two days, Djokovic had to endure a two and a half hour marathon with Fish to send the final into a deciding mixed doubles rubber. Djokovic won 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4).

Djokovic had succeeded in the past two ties winning his singles and being dominant in the doubles to see Serbia into the final after Jankovic withdrew through injury in her match on each occasion.

He again started tremendously in the men’s singles that unusually kicked off final proceedings against Fish.

The American had been dominant on serve all week, but Djokovic broke his opening service again, and once more in the opening set to claim it 6-2.

Fish was able to break Djokovic’s serve twice in the second set, but on both occasions the Serb broke straight back to keep things even.

However, Djokovic had a chance to break Fish again with the score at 5-4 and win the match, but couldn’t and the set went to a tie-break.

Fish was right on top and had no trouble sending the match into a third set by winning the tie-break seven points to four.

Djokovic was showing understandable signs of fatigue during the second and third sets, but he managed to hang in against a much fresher Fish and force the third to a deciding tie-break.

Djokovic managed to power through despite appearing exhausted, winning seven points to four to keep his country alive and a chance to win its first Hyundai Hopman Cup.

The Serbians made a brilliant start to the mixed doubles and looked capable of upsetting Williams and Fish by racing to a 4-1 lead. The USA then won the next three games to level the set, though, and it went to a tie-break.

Williams and Fish claimed it seven points to five to win the set in 52 minutes and hold a crucial advantage over Serbia with Jankovic on one leg.

The Americans quickly wrapped up the second set 6-2 and Williams and Fish were ecstatic to be crowned Hyundai Hopman Cup XX champions.
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Mardy Fish

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Session 9 of the Hyundai Hopman Cup XX was all about Americans Mardy Fish and Serena Williams. Both played great tennis today, all of which was televised on The Tennis Channel. Serena and Mardy have already qualified for the the final on Friday.

First up was Serena Williams and Alicia Molik. Serena played an aggressive first set to an error prone Alicia Molik who couldn't seem to get her timing together. Molik pulled herself together considerably in the second set and gave Serena a real run for her money, but it was Serena who came out on top. At the end of a tie-breaker Molik was defeated 6-2, 7-6 (9/7).



Next up was Mardy Fish and Peter Luczak. Mardy Fish's serve was definitely on, and that was the big edge that he had over Luczak who brought a lot of game to the court today. Luczak made some fabulous crosscourt winners giving the Australian crowd some hope. But it was short lived. At the end of a riveting tie-break, Mardy Fish defeated Luczak 7-6 (7/5), 7-6(12/10).



In the last match of mixed doubles, Serena and Mardy were all over Molik and Luczak. There were several really great volleys at the net between the two teams, but at no time were Serena and Mardy ever really threatened. They defeated the duo 6-2, 6-3.


Earlier in the day Serena relaxed and took in the sites at the Perth Zoo.



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Mardy Fish

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Session 5 - USA 3 defeating Czech Republic 0

• Serena Williams d Lucie Safarova 6-0, 2-6, 7-5 (Time: 111 minutes, Umpire: Alison Lang)
• Williams/Fish d Safarova/Berdych 6-0 retired
• Mardy Fish d Tomas Berdych 6-0, 6-0 walkover
  
  

Lucie Safarova has been unwell for a couple of days and Tomas Berdych pulled up with a stomach virus overnight, forcing the mixed doubles to be played before the men’s singles in order to give him the best chance of recovering.

The world No. 14 managed to make it onto court for the doubles, but Berdych was clearly hampered by his illness as Serena Williams and Mardy Fish took the first set 6-0.

Berdych then decided he could not continue, giving the Americans a 3-0 win for the tie.

The United States are now ideally placed to make its ninth final and the chance at a fifth win at the Hyundai Hopman Cup when it plays Australia on Thursday.

The 112-minute battle with Serena wasn’t what Safarova would have hoped for if she was not feeling well, but she took it right up to the world No. 7 and current Australian Open champion.

Serena made an amazing start after missing her opening match on Saturday and being in Perth just a day before taking on Safarova. However, no jetlag problems were evident as she blew Safarova off the court to take the opening set 6-0.

Safarova isn’t ranked 23 in the world by chance, though, and she fought back tremendously to take the second 6-2 and force a third and deciding set.

While the first two sets were lopsided either way, the decider was a real fight. Safarova broke first to go to a 4-2 lead, but Serena broke back straight away to take it to 4-4.

Serena then showed that she is in tremendous shape and form by breaking Safarova to go up 6-5, then held serve to win the gruelling tussle.

Fish and Williams were well on top in the only set of the doubles, with Berdych in particular struggling with his fitness.


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In her usual down-to-the-wire style, Serena Williams pulls out another win for the USA at Hopman Cup.





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Serena Williams and Lucie Safarova are currently representing the USA and the Czech Republic in this year's Hopman Cup. The ladies are current playing in the fifth session and tied at one set each. The first set went to Serena Williams who demolished Safarova 6-0. Safarova obviously awakened and found her game, defeating Serena 6-2. They are currently in the third on serve with Safarova leading 2-1 as of 9:52 p.m. eastern time.

Serena Williams arrived late, but arrival of Grand Slam queen Serena Williams at Perth’s Hyundai Hopman Cup has enabled the USA to go into their clash with the Czech Republic with added confidence.

The last match of 2007 sees the world No. 7 take on rising star Lucie Safarova, who has halved her ranking to 23 in the year since she made her Hyundai Hopman Cup debut.

The USA is seeded No. 2 for this year’s event, behind hot favourites Serbia and goes into the match with one victory to their credit, helped by substitute American Meghann Shaughnessy, who paired with Mardy Fish to beat India on Saturday.

Williams, a winner of the Hyundai Hopman Cup with James Blake five years ago, arrived in Perth overnight and had a hit on the practice court on Sunday afternoon after the long flight from Florida.

She has assured Tournament Director Paul McNamee that she had shrugged off a brief illness and her combination with Fish – who played extremely well in his 6-2, 6-4 win over India’s Rohan Bopanna in the opening match.

The third seeded Czechs were upset by Australia on Saturday night, when Alicia Molik and debutant Peter Luczak combined brilliantly in the doubles to down Safarova and her boyfriend, the 14th ranked Tomas Berdych.

The Czechs conceded that they need to do a little work on their doubles, having not won a rubber at last summer’s Hyundai Hopman Cup, with Berdych admitting it wasn’t his strong point.

“I didn’t help Lucie enough to win today,” he said. “I think the male partner needs to do more in the mixed, but that’s not my style, especially when we play normal tennis. I have to improve.”

Berdych, a winner of three singles titles on the men’s Tour, has secured his place in the upper echelons of world rankings, but has his sights set on a top-10 spot in the coming 2008 year.

His American opponent, Fish, has spent another year recovering from injury, this time damaging ankle ligaments in a friendly burst of grid iron.

However, he finished the year ranked at 39 and a strong showing against Berdych will boost his confidence for the year ahead.

The session begins at 10:30am on Monday.

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Serena Williams' new tennis season will start like several of her past - with an injury affecting her preparation for the first Grand Slam event.

The winner of last year's Australian Open, Serena will miss the United States' opening match at the Hopman Cup in Perth, organizers said Thursday. The American star is trying to recover from a lingering left knee injury that forced her to pull out of the WTA Tour's season-ending championships in Madrid in November. She had been scheduled to take on India's Sania Mirza on Saturday in the first match of the team event, but will be replaced by Meghan Shaughnessy.

Tournament officials said Serena will not arrive in the Western Australia state capital until the weekend, and plans to play for the Americans in Monday's match against the Czech Republic. Player substitutions are allowed between matches.

After an injury-filled 2006, Serena had an incredible win at the 2007 Australian Open - unseeded, ranked No. 81 and beating six seeded players en route to the title. By the end of the season, she was ranked No. 7.

Serena first injured her left knee in 2000 and had surgery in 2003, forcing her to pull out of all events after Wimbledon that year.

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Defending Australian Open champion Serena Williams has shaken off a knee injury in time to take her place in the Hyundai Hopman Cup at the Burswood Dome later this month.

Williams had to pull out of the season-ending tournament in Madrid early last month due to a recurrence of the knee complaint.

But the eight-times grand slam champion proved her fitness for the $1 million ITF Perth mixed teams international, starting in a fortnight, when she played at a charity event in the United States last weekend.

Williams played mixed doubles with Mardy Fish, who she will partner at Hopman Cup XX, and James Blake.

Blake and Williams are former winners in Perth, combining to beat Alicia Molik and Lleyton Hewitt in the final of Hopman Cup XV in 2002-03. It was the last time Williams played in the tournament.

Blake was again successful a year later when he combined with Lindsay Davenport to defeat Slovak Republic pair Daniela Hantuchova and Karol Kucera in the final.

Davenport replaced Williams at late notice that year when Williams was forced to pull out after knee surgery and the death of her half-sister.

Hopman Cup tournament director Paul McNamee was pleased to see Williams on track for an Australian summer campaign starting in Perth.

“Serena played well at the charity event, she’s happy and it was a really good hit-out for the Hopman Cup,” McNamee said.

“It’s just good to see her back out on the court because she hadn’t played since she had to pull out of the year end tournament in Madrid.”

McNamee said he was keeping close tabs on Williams.

“The year after she won it (Hopman Cup) she did have to withdraw,” he said. “It’s a matter I want to keep on top of because you want to keep faith with the public. Along with Jelena Jankovic on the women’s side, Serena is the biggest star.

“She is the reigning Australian Open champion and a former winner of the tournament.”

Williams will be protecting an unbeaten record when she plays at the Hopman Cup.

The 26-year-old has singles wins against Uzbekistan’s Iroda Tulyaganova, Belgium’s Kim Clijsters, Spain’s Virginia Ruano Pascual and Australia’s Molik, and won all her mixed doubles rubbers with Blake.

Field – Group A: Serbia (No. 1 seed) Jelena Jankovic (world No. 3) Novak Djokovic (3); France (4) Tatiana Golovin (13) Gael Monfils (38); Argentina (5) Gisela Dulko (38) Juan Ignacio Chela (20); Chinese Taipei (8) Su-Wei Hsieh (156) Yen-Hsun Lu (110). Group B: US (2) Serena Williams (7) Mardy Fish (39); Czech Republic (3) Lucie Safarova (23) Tomas Berdych (14); Australia (6) Alicia Molik (56) Peter Luczak (79); India (7) Sania Mirza (31) Rohan Bopanna (267).

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Serena Williams Hopman Cup

Source -- The West.au.com Russell Reid

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