The Slovak Republic Claim Third Cup Title
10/01/2009
 By Chris Pike
AN incredible week of tennis at the Hyundai Hopman Cup has ended with the Slovak Republic winning an amazing final over Russia to become three-time champions.
The win for the Slovak Republic was set up with Dominika Cibulkova beating world No. 3 Russian Dinara Safina for the first time 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-4.
That match lasted 2hrs 28mins and then in a 2hr 32mins battle befitting of the final of one of the best Hyundai Hopman Cups, Dominik Hrbaty beat Marat Safin 6-7 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (3).
The win for world No. 19 teenager Cibulkova and veteran Hrbaty follows up the Slovak Republic's win in 1998 and 2005.
Remarkably, the Slovak Republic has now won six straight Ties at Hopman Cups, having also gone through HHCXVII undefeated when Hrbaty won with Daniela Hantuchova.
It makes Hrbaty a dual winner to move into the company of Serena Williams, James Blake and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.
It was a disappointing result for the Russian team, with the brother-sister team looking to win the Cup on their first, and possibly only, time teaming together. It is Safin's best result still in four visits to Perth though.
In the women's match, Cibulkova earned the first break of the match early in the first set, but Safina broke straight back.
From there, the opening set of the final went to a tie-break where Safina prevailed 7-3 and was handed the deciding point on a Cibulkova double fault.
The second set was a totally different story, with Cibulkova's persistence, fitness and fighting qualities paying off as she wore down the patience of Safina. The Russian couldn't hide her frustration as Cibulkova stunned her to take the set 6-1.
Cibulkova then began the third set with a break of serve and quickly raced to a 5-1 lead to appear on track for the biggest win of her career.
However, Safina has the talent to be world No. 1 and fought back hard to pull it back to 4-5.
However, Cibulkova had one more chance to serve for the match and after surviving a host of break back points; she held on and couldn't have possibly been happier to beat Safina.
It all came down to yet another tussle between good friends, but fierce on-court rivals, Safina and Hrbaty. The pair had met 15 previous times, with Safin leading 8-7 which included a three-set win at Hopman Cup XIII.
The first set between the two veterans was just what you'd expect from two warhorses and went almost an hour. Things went on serve right through the set into a tie-break, and Safin opened up an early lead only for Hrbaty to pull it back to 5-5.
Safin then came up with an incredible shot to win it seven points to five. Hrbaty had connected well after a short Safin shot, but the big Russian chased it down and hit an awesome forehand crosscourt to cleanly beat the Slovak warrior.
In the second set, Hrbaty was able to gain the advantage with a break of serve and held on to win 7-5 and force a deciding third set.
If anyone thought either man would take a backward step in the third, they couldn’t be more wrong as Safin and Hrbaty went toe-to-toe all the way to the tie-break, which would either force a mixed doubles or hand Slovak Republic a third title.
The result went Hrbaty's way as he claimed the set, match and title 7-3 in the tie-break to end a remarkable match, at a Cup which featured the best tennis imaginable.
The result means that from 16 meetings ranging everywhere from Davis Cups, French Opens, Australian Opens and Hopman Cups, Hrbaty and Safin have won eight apiece.
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