A beautiful third day in Perth saw two of the tournament’s biggest challengers bask in the mid summer sun, with Team USA and Team France both enjoying victories. Playing in their first matches of the tournament, two of the favourites for the competition brushed aside their respective competition with a nonchalant ease that out to worry the rest of the field.
In the day’s first match, Team USA took on the weakened Team Spain, in what would prove to be another disappointing showing for the Mediterranean nation. Playing in her first ever Hopman Cup, the Serena Williams successor to be, Sloane Stephens, crushed the world number 100 Anabel Medina Garrigues in straight sets to the loss of just four games.
Struggling with a knee injury, and lacking a killer weapon, Medina Garrigues could barely keep up with the 12th ranked American, who barely broke a sweat in the 76 minute long match. Stephens summed it all up at the end by commenting that she ‘felt good’ and that it was a ‘good way to start the year off.’ Medina Garrigues, meanwhile, looks already exhausted.
Her victory was then followed up with some aplomb by the giant John Isner, who swatted aside any notion of a Grzegorz Panfil style shock, by destroying Daniel Munoz-De La Nava in two easy sets. Munoz-De La Nava later admitted that his opponent had played like ‘an animal’ and that he stood no chance against the serving prowess of the world number 14.
Elsewhere, the French team swatted aside the challenge from Czech pair Petra Kvitova and Radek Stepanek to hand Jo Wilfried Tsonga and Alize Cornet their maiden victory as a partnership. Having flown in from the Middle East on Sunday, Tsonga showed little signs of letting tiredness get to him, as he professionally eased past the experienced Stepanek.
The world number 10, and French Open semi finalist, made light work of his opponent, calling upon his trademark power and physique to great effect. He admitted to feeling some tiredness, but one would not have been able to tell based on the performance.
‘It was great for me to win this match, it’s not easy, I just arrived yesterday ah so I was a bit tired but I played good tennis.’ He remarked at the end
In the ties’ other single match, former Wimbledon Champion Kvitova was made to work tirelessly hard for her win, as she battled past the tenacious Alize Cornet in just shy of two hours and twenty minutes, in what was an enthralling three set fight.
Throwing in a mix of dogged defence and sparkling offense, the French number one fought right to the end, even to the point of breaking her opponent as she served for the match at 5-4 in the third. Her unpredictable play brought out several errors from the powerful Czech baseliner, who had to be on her game to sneak through. And when she broke straight back, she was sure not to make the same mistake again as she served out the match to level the playing field.
Thus, the day’s final match, a mixed doubles tussle, would prove to be crucial, with the two teams capable of securing the vital win. But, the French team seemed to click with an sensational chemistry as they blew past their opponents in straight sets for the loss of just four games. Their opponents, tennis’ newest couple, could barely cope with the fluid movement and finesse on show and eventually succumbed to defeat.
So, at the end of today’s play, both the French and the US leapfrog the sorry Spaniards and are now within touching distance of the Czechs; ensuring the next few days are sure to be pulsating.
Results
USA 3 v 0 Spain
Sloan Stephens v Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3 6-1
John Isner v Daniel Munoz-De La Nava 6-3 6-4
Isner/Stephens v Garrigues/La Nava 4-6 6-0 10-4
France 2 v 1 Czech Republic
Jo Wilfried Tsonga v Radek Stepanek 6-1 6-4
Petra Kvitova v Alize Cornet 6-1 3-6 7-5
Tsonga/Cornet v Stepanek/Kvitova 6-1 6-3