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PERTH, Australia, Jan 2: Australian duo Lleyton Hewitt and Alicia Molik fist-pumped and high-fived their way back from three match points down to squeeze past a valiant Czech team and reach the Hopman Cup final on Thursday.
The pair, who played together as juniors in South Australia, whipped the Burswood crowd into a patriotic frenzy as they repelled a fierce Czech advance to scrap out a 10-4 match tiebreak win after splitting the first two sets 4-6 7-5.
Molik, ranked 94th in the world, had looked to be the team’s weak link heading into the decisive Group B match but she produced a scintillating singles victory over Daja Bedanova, hauling herself back from 5-1 40-30 down in the opening set to beat the Czech 7-6 7-5 and put the second-seeded hosts 1-0 ahead.
The grins soon turned to frowns as world number one Hewitt was then stunned by Jiri Novak 6-2 3-6 6-3.
The shock singles defeat was a first for Hewitt at this year’s mixed team event and was the first rubber Australia have conceded.
World number seven Novak was simply too powerful and too determined for counter-puncher Hewitt.
Results
Group A: Belgium bt Uzbekistan 3-0 (Belgian names first) Xavier Malisse/Kim Clijsters beat Oleg Ogorodov/Iroda Tulyaganova 6-1 6-1; Xavier Malisse bt Oleg Ogorodov 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 6-2; Kim Clijsters bt Iroda Tulyaganova 6-3 6-2
Group B: Australia bt 3-Czech Republic 2-1 (Australian names first): Lleyton Hewitt/Alicia Molik bt Jiri Novak/Daja Bedanova 4-6 7-5 10-4 match tiebreak (first to 10 points); Lleyton Hewitt lost to Jiri Novak 2-6 6-3 3-6; Alicia Molik bt Daja Bedanova 7-6 (7-3) 7-5
Slovak Republic bt Italy 3-0 (Slovak names first) Dominik Hrbaty/Daniela Hantuchova bt Davide Sanguinetti/Silvia Farina Elia 8-3 pro-set (first to eight games); Dominik Hrbaty bt Davide Sanguinetti 6-3 7-6 (7-4); Daniela Hantuchova bt Silvia Farina Elia 7-5 6-3
Indian Open results
CHENNAI, India: Results from the 400,000-dollar ATP Indian Open tennis tournament here on Thursday:
Men’s singles: Second round
Guillermo Canas bt Jiri Vanek (Cze) 6-4, 6-2; Jean-Rene Lisnard bt Noam Okun 6-0, 2-6, 6-2; Rainer Schuettler bt Mark Philippoussis 6-2, 6-1.
Hardcourt results:
ADELAIDE: Results of the matches played on Thursday in the Australian men’s Hardcourt tennis tournament:
Second round: Alberto Martin bt Richard Gasquet 7-5 6-1; Richard Krajicek bt Franco Squillari 6-4 6-3; Kristof Vliegen bt Arvind Parmar 6-2 6-2; Brian Vahaly bt Vincent Spadea 7-6 (7-1) 6-2
GOLD COAST RESULTS:
Gold Coast: Results of the matches played on Thursday in the Australian women’s hardcourt tennis tournament:
Second seed Nathalie Dechy of France brushed aside Austria’s Barbara Schett 6-4 6-2 to book her place in the semi-finals. She meets Russian fourth seed Elena Bovina who defeated Tathiana Garbin of Italy 6-1 2-6 6-4 despite suffering a thight strain during the match.—Reuters
