Sweden advances to Hopman Cup final
Australia will meet Swedes in championship match
Posted: Friday January 08, 1999 11:23 AM
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After a 2-0 disadvantage in the second set, Hingis swept up the next six games to win 6-2, 6-2 AP |
PERTH, Australia (AP) -- Sweden earned a place in the Hopman Cup
final for the first time when it defeated Switzerland 2-1 Friday,
advancing to the mixed teams tournament championship against
Australia.
On Thursday, Australia qualified for its first final since 1989.
Martina Hingis earned her 10th successive singles victory in the
mixed team competition when she swept aside Asa Carlsson 6-2, 6-2.
Jonas Bjorkman then put Sweden level with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Ivo
Heuberger, and a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 win on the mixed doubles lifted
Sweden into the final.
Carlsson struck many fine shots including several winning
forehands down the line, but she was unable to match the relentless
consistency of Hingis. The Swiss world No. 2 began with an ace, and
broke for 2-0 when Carlsson double-faulted.
Another break gave Hingis the set, and although Hingis
double-faulted twice to drop her serve as the second set got
underway and then fell behind 2-0, she swept up the next six games
for the loss of just nine points.
Carlsson struck many fine shots, but she was unable to match the relentless consistency of Hingis AP |
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Bjorkman was also an easy winner over the inexperienced
Heuberger, but the score failed to reflect the intensity of the
first 10 games. Heuberger held but failed to convert any of six
break points, and then faded badly as he earned only four points in
the final four games.
"I felt a bit tired today," said Bjorkman. "I was out in the
sun for a couple of hours yesterday playing golf, and I didn't feel
too good in my legs. I didn't have that speed on the court.
"But the good thing is that I played the important points very
good and never gave him a chance to get into the match, and I
played a little bit better at the end."
In the decisive doubles, Hingis was ably supported by the less
experienced Heuberger in the early stages, but Bjorkman's doubles
expertise eventually made the difference. The result put Bjorkman
into his second team final in two months, following his part in
Sweden's Davis Cup victory over Italy in December.
Defending champions Slovak Republic lost their chance of a place
in the final when American Jan-Michael Gambill scored an upset 5-7,
7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win over Karol Kucera. The Slovaks had remained in
contention until then, despite Lindsay Davenport's 6-4, 6-2 win
over Karina Habsudova earlier.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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