The Hopman Cup appearance will be the first on a tennis court for Serena Williams since losing the US Open semi-finals to Roberta Vinci in September and shutting down her 2015 season in disgust and heartbreak.
DPA/Perth
January’s Hopman Cup mixed team event will pack a one-two top 10 punch with WTA number one Serena Williams joining a field which also includes ATP number two Andy Murray.
Williams will team up with Jack Sock for the US in the January 3-9 eight-nation event, considered a prime tune-up for the Australian Open due to guaranteed matches in the round-robin format.
In her fourth appearance at the hybrid event, Williams will attempt to become the first three-time champion. The Hopman appearance will be the first on a court for Williams since losing in the US Open semi-finals to Roberta Vinci in September and shutting down her 2015 season in disgust and heartbreak.
“Perth definitely started something quite amazing so I think it’s only natural and fair and reasonable that I go back to Perth,” said Williams, who was a 2015 finalist with John Isner. “We were so close to winning last year. I’m really excited to be back.
“For me the Hopman Cup is super great preparation for the Australian Open. In 2016 I want to play doubles in Australia so it will be really exciting for me to get there, play some doubles and get some little experience at the Hopman Cup.”
After starting this season in Perth, Williams went on to win the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and reached the semi-finals of the US Open. Her win-loss record stands at 53-3 for the year.
Murray will play for Britain alongside Heather Watson, with one eye back home in Britain as wife Lucy is to give birth in February.
Also confirmed are French Open finalist Lucie Safarova for the Czech Republic, with the number nine pairing with newcomer Jiri Vesely for the European tennis power.
“Three top ten players, including Serena Williams and Andy Murray, six grand slam champions and eight junior grand slam champions, will be here in January to compete for their countries,” said tournament director Paul Kilderry.
“Serena is one of the greatest female athletes in the world. Since we last saw her she has won three Grand Slam titles and looks to win her 22nd major next year in Australia. We are excited to welcome her back to Perth.
“To round out the field we welcome Germany’s Sabine Lisicki and Alexander Zverev to Western Australia for the first time.”
US-Poland Fed Cup to be played in Hawaii
The United States will open their 2016 Fed Cup campaign against Poland in the Pacific Ocean state of Hawaii. The February 6-7 World Group II first round match will take place at the outdoor hardcourts in Kailua Kona, the first time the archipelago has hosted Fed Cup matches.
Hawaii makes geographical sense for US team members, with the island chain part of the return route to the United States for players participating in the Australian Open in January.
The winner of February’s clash will advance to the World Group playoff in April 16-17 with a chance to earn promotion to the 2017 World Group.
The US lead Poland 3-0 in Fed Cup meetings and has yet to lose an individual match in the series.
Both world number Serena Williams and sister Venus Williams played for the United States in the 2015 Fed Cup but were unable to help them return to the World Group.
The United States have won the Fed Cup 17 times.
Suarez-Navarro makes it to Moscow quarters
Fifth seed Carla Suarez-Navarro of Spain advanced to the Kremlin Cup quarter-finals with a straight-sets victory over Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia on Tuesday. At the ATP and WTA joint event in Moscow, Suarez-Navarro chalked up a 6-4, 7-5 win to keep alive her chances of obtaining one of the remaining spots in the season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore.
“I’ve lost all of my previous meetings with her but I’ve learned from that defeats,” Suarez-Navarro said.
“Today I played tactically good game as I feel myself comfortably on this court. The key was to stay focused throughout the match.
Meanwhile, sixth seed Czech Karolina Pliskova, who needs to win the tournament to book a place in the WTA Finals, battled into the second round after a tough three-setter with Alexandra Dulghery of Romania 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (9/7).
Pliskova, 15th in the WTA rankings, took the opening set in 49 minutes and grabbed a 3-1 lead in the second but Dulgheru rallied to take four consecutive games to level at one set all after one hour 33 minutes on court.
The deciding set looked almost a carbon copy of the second as Dulgheru was trailing 4-1 but managed to pull the scores level again. But in a tiebreak that followed the 23-year-old Pliskova, who is seeking her career’s fifth title here, was slightly more accurate to win the set and her first ever meeting with Dulgheru.
In the ATP section, fifth seed Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas, who is seeking his career fourth title here, barely broke sweat as he cruised into the second round when the Spanish qualifier Pere Riba retired through injury after losing the first set 6-1.
