Spain Wins Third Cup Over Great Britain
SPAIN’s Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Tommy Robredo rebounded from a shock women’s singles loss against Great Britain to win the men’s and mixed doubles rubbers to win the Final of Hyundai Hopman Cup XXII 2-1.
Great Britain’s 15-year-old star in the making Laura Robson gave her country the perfect start in their first Cup Final by shocking world No. 26 Martinez Sanchez 6-1, 7-6 (6) to win her first singles match of the week.
That set things up beautifully for her world No. 4 partner Andy Murray to continue his form from the week that saw him not drop a set. He looked likely to do that by winning the first set over Tommy Robredo 6-1, but the Spaniard world No. 16 bounced back winning the next two 6-4, 6-3 to force a deciding mixed doubles.
The first set went right down to the tie-break and Britain earned three match points at 6-3, but couldn’t capitalise and Spain did on their first opportunity. The second again appeared to be heading to a tie-break until Martinez Sanchez and Robredo broke Robson’s serve on the last game to win the set 7-5 and the championship.
The win is Spain’s third in the 22-year history of the Hopman Cup after Arantxa Sanchez Vicario won with brother Emilio Sanchez in 1990 and then Robredo in 2002.
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“Last time I was with Arantxa, this time with Maria Jose and I think that this one is more special because beating Andy Murray on singles and then the mixed, that it was so close. So today everything was going on a bad position, in a bad way and then we could come back we are both very happy.”
Spain’s Tommy Robredo.