Jo Wilfried Tsonga and Alize Cornet have become the first French team to win the Hopman Cup, after a battling 2-1 victory over the Poles. The pair, who are playing in their first tournament together, defeated the Poles in the crucial mixed doubles to seal victory on a wonderful summer’s evening in Perth.

With a mighty crowd of 10,000 strong packing into the impressive Perth Arena, they were certainly treated to a final to remember, as the match grew ever the more unpredictable with every stroke of the fuzzy little tennis ball. As they took to the unblemished court to begin proceedings, one could see the nerves, hunger and anticipation in the eyes of Grezgorz Panfil and Jo Wilfried Tsonga, with both players eager to put one hand on the trophy.

In a match that brought out the best in both players' dogged determination, a ruthless battle erupted on the court, with Grezgorz Panfil eager to catch out his opponent with a mix of classic serve and volleying and defence and Tsonga his distinguished flow and physique. The first set looked like it could have gone all the way, one poor game by Panfil in the sixth, with several errors gifting Tsonga break point, changed the flow and set Tsonga on his way. He would eventually capture the set to three.

But, Panfil has been one of the delights of the tournament, coming in at the last minute to replace the talented Jerzy Janowicz and putting in some sensational performances, including defeating Milos Raonic of Canada. The journeyman has shown the grit and determination of a man who should be much higher than him in the rankings, and he had to call on every last inch of this fight to claw his way back into the match. This was especially clear in the first game of the set, where after facing several break points, he somehow fought these off to secure a rather important hold. Buoyed by this and by an impressively loud Polish contingent in the crowd, he played through the rest of the set on a high to break and eventually win it to take us into a deciding set.

But, there’s a reason why Tsonga has kept up with the best guys for so long and he demonstrated just why with his performance in the third set. Relying on immense mental strength and upping the ante and pace on the ball, Tsonga stepped in to crush the challenge of Panfil in the third.

So, with the crowd still on edge and with the tension unbearably high, Agnieszka Radwanska and Alize Cornet took their place on court to play in one of the most crucial rubbers of the week. Cornet, who has arguably been one of the players of the tournament and one most determined to win it, would yet again put in another dogged performance, fighting off breathing problems and awful umpiring, not to mention her distinguished opponent, to take the match of the tournament all the way.

However, at times, she looked in danger of being blown away by the Pole, whose trademark elegance and craft was being dished out in spades, as she fell in the first set and found herself on the brink at 3-5 down. Having to fight off a match point, the length of the rallies and the heat of the glorious night almost took its toll, with Cornet having to take an extended time due to breathing difficulties. Incredibly, umpire James Keothovang deemed this to be a time violation. But, this only seemed to galvanise Cornet, who unbelievably took the set in a nervy tie break to seven.

But, with nerves, stress and a remarkable opponent all fighting against her, the third set proved to be a set too many for Cornet, as the beaten and bruised Frenchwoman was swept to one side by Radwanska. As the players left the court, the crowd grew ever the more excited, as the 2014 Hopman Cup would be decided by the final rubber of the tournament.

The Poles in the crowd grew louder and the small French contingent tried to battle against this one sided tide. However, there would be only so much the Poles could do in support of their team, as an impressive Tsonga grabbed the rubber by the scruff of the neck and refused to loosen his grip. A simply marvellous performance by the world number ten, who was brilliantly supported by Cornet, swept the Poles to one side, with the tie looking like one tie too many for the makeshift team. They barely had an answer as their hopes were dashed in just 47 minutes and to the capture of a mere two games.

Tsonga and Cornet looked absolutely elated at the end, with Cornet leaping into the arms of her partner. With both players smiling and finding their way into the history books, the crowd leapt to their feet in appreciation and delirium for their champions.

The 2014 Hopman Cup will do down in history for many reasons. Great champions, great matches and great upsets. But the joy and elation on the faces of Alize Cornet and Jo Wilfried Tsonga will go down as the greatest of all.

Results

France 2 v 1 Poland

Jo Wilfried Tsonga d. Grzegorz Panfil 6-3 3-6 6-3

Agnieszka Radwanska d. Alize Cornet 6-3 6-7(7) 6-2

Tsonga/Cornet d. Radwanska/Panfil 6-0 6-2