Past Results - Hopman Cup VI (31st Dec 1993 - 7th Jan 1994)
If you don't succeed at first ... try again. That was the philosophy
of Hopman Cup VI when Czech Republic pair Jana Novotna and Petr Korda
lined up for a second successive crack at the international trophy.
Even though Czechoslovakia, in its old form of a united nation,
had won the inaugural Hopman Cup with Miloslav Mecir and Helena Sukova,
this was a new ball game as the newly-shaped Czech Republic marshalled
its tennis players in search of world glory.
Korda and Novotna, seeded second a year earlier, but semi-final
departures courtesy of Spain, had progressed to No. 1 seeds by 1994
and they were to live up to that high expectation.
Austria opened proceedings with an upset win over sixth-seeds Ukraine,
something that disappointed the growing fans of the family challenge
from Andrei Medvedev, now ranked No. 6 in the world and the brightest
star in the European tennis galaxy and his charming sister Natalia.
But it was a 3-0 win to Judith Wiesner and Alex Antonitsch, in straight
singles, followed by a forfeit in the mixed owing to a knee injury
suffered by Andrei.
Germany, back to defend their Cup but with a new pair in the delightful
Anke Huber and the relentless Bernd Karbacher, notched a hard-earned
win over South Africa; Huber beating Amanda Coetzer in three sets
and Karbacher downing Marcos Ondruska four and four, leaving the
mixed a dead rubber.
Australia paraded Wally Masur and Nicole Provis for the second year
running and they beat Sweden 2-1, courtesy of a great mixed doubles
effort. Nicole had beaten Catarina Lindqvist in straight sets, but
Masur went down to Mikael Pernfors — sporting a bald scalp
after what he described as a too-narrow shave — and they had
to pool their talents to advance to the quarters.
Switzerland's previous winners in Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere, on
an emotional farewell trip to Australia with retirement pending and
Jakob Hlasek were too steady for Holland's Miriam Oremans and Jan
Simerink, winning both singles after each dropped the first set.
Australia really stirred the crowd with their 3-0 win over fourth-seeds
France, with Nicole overcoming a shoulder injury to down Nathalie
Tauziat in three sets and then Masur beat Cedric Pioline, leaving
the mixed a dead rubber.
The match remains famous for the Pioline racquet incident involving
the newly-introduced TEL electronic lines system. Pioline, using
a rare and somewhat obsolete magnesium racquet, kept setting the
alarm bells off in the TEL system; a flaw that was quickly remedied,
but certainly puzzled a few people.
The Czechs also advanced, but the hard way, beating Switzerland
2-1 with Manuela producing a stirring Perth farewell with victory
over the world No. 6 Novotna, who atoned by helping Korda (a crisp
winner over Hlasek when he produced a perfect set) in the mixed.
Spain had a new pairing in the ever-popular Emilio Sanchez and Wimbledon
winner Conchita Martinez standing in for his sister Arantxa, but
the third seeds found an unexpected hurdle in Austria, losing both
singles and then the unheralded German pair showed that the might
of second seeds United States was not insurmountable.
Huber beat Mary Joe Fernandez in straight sets, including a tie-breaker
and then Karbacher notched one of his best wins by beating former
world No. 1 and adopted American Ivan Lendl, dropping just four games.
It was a nightmare Hopman Cup debut for the great Lendl, who had
filled in late after a personal request from an injured John McEnroe.
It was to be his first appearance under the American flag and the
former Czech also found it hard to accept the calls of a machine!
The Germans lost the mixed, but that didn't matter.
The semi-finals saw the red-hot Czechs stop the run of the Aussies,
with Novotna beating Provis two and two, but Korda came from behind
to down Masur in a great match. The Aussies entertained their home-town
crowd with an 8-5 win in the pro-set mixed doubles.
Germany continued their giant-killing run by beating Austria, with
only Huber dropping a set on her way to downing Wiesner, with Karbacher
surviving a tight clash with Antonitsch and then winning the mixed
to make a clean sweep.
But that good form wasn't enough to defend their crown, even though
a 6-1 opening set win to Huber against Novotna, who was still struggling
to cope with the heat after coming off a Swiss Alps holiday, suggested
that an upset was on the cards.
But Novotna recovered to win the next two sets four and three and
Korda conceded seven games to Karbacher in his march to victory — and
the championship spoils. The Czechs lost the dead rubber mixed, but
the crowd got more than their money's worth with a humorous pro-set
full of entertainment.
It was a great win for Korda, whose former partner at HCIII was
now his wife Regina, watching from the players box with daughter
Jessica. Novotna, a finalist at the Australian Open and Wimbledon
in between her visits to Perth for the Hopman Cup, was a worthy winner,
with her prowess in doubles hardly needed as her singles form rose
to the occasion.
Results
Hopman Cup VI (31 December 1993 - 7 January 1994)
Seeds:
1. Czech Republic : Petr Korda/Jana Novotna
2. USA : Ivan Lendl/Mary Joe Fernandez
3. Spain : Emilio Sanchez/Conchita Martinez
4. France : Cedric Pioline/Nathalie Tauziat
5. Australia : Wally Masur/Nicole Provis
6. Ukraine : Andrei Medvedev/Natalia Medvedeva
7. Switzerland : Jakob Hlasek/Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere
8. South Africa : Marcos Ondruska/Amanda Coetzer
Unseeded:
Austria: Alex Antonitsch/Judith Wiesner
Germany: Bernd Karbacher/Anke Huber
Netherlands: Jan Siemerink/Miriam Oremans
Sweden: Mikael Pernfors/Catarina Lindqvist
Final:
Czech Republic d. Germany 2-1:
Jana Novotna defeated Anke Huber 1-6 6-4 6-3;
Petr Korda defeated Bernd Karbacher 6-3 6-3;
Karbacher/Huber defeated Korda/Novotna 8-3*.
(* Dead Rubbers - Pro Set)
Semi Finals:
Czech Republic d. Australia 2-1:
Jana Novotna defeated Nicole Provis 6-2 6-2;
Petr Korda defeated Wally Masur 4-6 6-1 6-4;
Masur/Provis defeated Korda/Novotna 8-5*.
Germany d. Austria 3-0:
Anke Huber defeated Judith Wiesner 6-2 1-6 6-2;
Bernd Karbacher defeated Alex Antonitsch 7-6 6-2;
Karbacher/Huber defeated Antonitsch/Wiesner 8-4*.
Quarter Finals:
Australia d. France 3-0:
Nicole Provis defeated Nathalie Tauziat 4-6 7-6 6-2;
Wally Masur defeated Cedric Pioline 7-5 6-4;
Masur/Provis defeated Pioline/Tauziat 8-4*.
Austria d. Spain 2-1:
Judith Wiesner defeated Conchita Martinez 6-2 6-4;
Alex Antonitsch defeated Emilio Sanchez 3-6 6-4 6-3;
Sanchez/Martinez defeated Antonitsch/Wiesner 8-1*.
Czech Republic d. Switzerland 2-1:
Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere defeated Jana Novotna 6-4 7-5;
Petr Korda defeated Jakob Hlasek 6-0 6-2;
Korda/Novotna defeated Hlasek/Maleeva-Fragniere 6-4 6-4.
Germany d. USA 2-1:
Anke Huber defeated Mary Joe Fernandez 6-2 7-6;
Bernd Karbacher defeated Ivan Lendl 6-3 6-1;
Lendl/Fernandez defeated Karbacher/Huber 8-5*.
First Round:
Czech Republic - Bye
USA - Bye
Spain - Bye
France - Bye
Austria d. Ukraine 3-0:
Judith Wiesner defeated Natalia Medvedeva 7-6 6-3;
Alex Antonitsch defeated Andrei Medvedev 4-6 6-2 6-1;
Antonitsch/Wiesner defeated Medvedev/Medvedeva - w/o.
Australia d. Sweden 2-1:
Nicole Provis defeated Catarina Lindqvist 7-6 6-1;
Mikael Pernfors defeated Wally Masur 6-4 6-4;
Masur/Provis defeated Pernfors/Lindqvist 6-3 7-5.
Germany d. South Africa 2-1:
Anke Huber defeated Amanda Coetzer 7-6 3-6 6-1;
Bernd Karbacher defeated Marcos Ondruska 6-4 6-4;
Ondruska/Coetzer defeated Karbacher/Huber 8-7(10)*.
Switzerland d. Netherlands 3-0:
Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere defeated Miriam Oremans 3-6 6-3 6-1;
Jakob Hlasek defeated Jan Siemerink 4-6 6-4 7-5;
Hlasek/Maleeva-Fragniere defeated Siemerink/Oremans 8-6*.
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