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.

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

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.