Spain Through to Cup Final
7/01/2010
By Chris Pike
AUSTRALIA could not drop a set to Spain in Thursday’s Session 9 of the Hyundai Hopman Cup, but the Spanish team of Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Tommy Robredo proved too strong and have advanced to their fifth Cup Final.
Spain had won its opening two Ties 3-0 against the USA and Romania, while Australia lost 1-2 to Romania and beat the Americans 2-1, so Samantha Stosur and Lleyton Hewitt had to convincingly beat the No. 4 seeds who had looked terrific all week.
That task proved too much when world No. 26 Martinez Sanchez took out the first set of the women’s singles against the 13th ranked Stosur. The Spaniard won that 6-4 and then dominated the second 6-2 to wrap the match up in 71 minutes.
Martinez Sanchez couldn’t be happier with her week in Perth so far that has seen her beat Melanie Oudin, Sorana Cirstea and now Stosur.
“It is not easy at the beginning of the year to play like this. In the pre-season I worked too much and I suffered. It was too much,” Martinez Sanchez said.
“This tournament is a great preparation for me for the Aussie Open and I’m so happy. I feel great.”
High-quality veterans Hewitt and Robredo then met for just the third time of their decorated careers in the men’s singles, and it was the Spaniard that took control. Incredibly he won the first four games as Hewitt hit four double faults and Robredo closed out the set 6-2.
The second was a tighter affair and remained on serve until the ninth game when Robredo broke Hewitt’s serve. He then served it out to win the match 6-2, 6-4.
Robredo took advantage of a Hewitt that was struggling a little with a sore back to score an impressive win as he prepares to try and win his second Cup for Spain.
“I served pretty well and it gave me a lot of chances to play easy. Then I think that Lleyton was not 100 per cent fit, he had some problems. At the beginning he was making a lot of double faults which is not used to him,” Robredo said.
“I’m just one match away from winning again now. I heard that this year there are so many more diamonds on the ball too, so it’s pretty nice. I have a good partner and I have to keep going because she’s playing that good that I have to do my best because then we will be very close to the diamond ball.”
Spain also won the mixed doubles 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (10/7) to ensure not only are they undefeated this week , but they have not dropped a set. Australia has now lost eight straight mixed doubles at the Hopman Cup.
On Court 1, Romania’s Victor Hanescu was unable to take his place against the United States due to injury. His 19-year-old partner Sorana Cirstea still did battle with 18-year-old American Melanie Oudin.
Oudin had lost to Stosur and Martinez Sanchez in straight sets in her opening two games, but raced to a superb start against Cirstea to take the first set 6-2. Oudin then followed that up with a 6-3 second set victory to secure the win.
Group B is still wide open and will be decided in Friday’s double-header. Great Britain holds all the aces having won its first two Ties, but faces No. 2 seeds Russia who need to win to have a chance of making the Final as well.
The wildcards are Kazakhstan who upset Russia on Wednesday night and play Germany, who is the only team unable to make Saturday’s Final from the Group.
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