Australia beat Spain 2-1 in the Hopman Cup in Perth and are one win away from finishing on top of Group A.
Ashleigh Barty beat twice Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza 6-3 6-4 in one hour and 14 minutes in the women’s match. Spanish veteran David Ferrer drew level by winning the men’s singles match against local favourite Matthew Ebden 7-6 (7-1) 7-5. Australia needs to beat German players Angelique Kerber and Alexander Zverev on Friday.
Barty did not drop one service game and hit six aces to win the first set against Muguruza. The Australian player saved a break point in the first game of the match. Both players held their serve in the first seven games before Barty got a break in the eighth game, when Muguruza made a backhand error. Barty hit an ace to close out the first set 6-3 after 35 minutes. Muguruza dropped her serve in the seventh game, when she hit her forehand long. Barty closed out the second set with a hold of serve in the 10th game.
“Garbine returns extrahordinarily well and I knew I would have to look after my service games. I didn’t really give myself a chance in a lot of her service games, but when I did, I made it count”, said Barty.
In the men’s match David Ferrer converted five of his eleven break points against Matthew Ebden to score his first Hopman Cup win.
Both players traded three breaks in the middle of the first set. Ferrer got two breaks to open up a 5-3 lead and served for the set in the 10th game. Ebden broke back after a forehand error from Ferrer. Both players traded breaks in the 11th and 12th games setting up a tie-break. Ferrer cruised through to winning the tie-break 7-1 after Ebden made a forehand error.
Ebden broke serve in the fifth game with a forehand cross court winner to build up a 4-2 lead. Ferrer broke back at 3-4 when Barty netted a backhand. Ebden saved two match points, as he was serving to stay in the match at 4-5 before earning a break point in the next game. Ferrer fended it off and hit a forehand down the line winner to earn match points. The Spaniard converted his first chance after an error from Ebden.
Ferrer confirmed his plan to end his career in Madrid next May.
“I am 100 percent I will finish my career in Madrid. I am not playing bad. The problem is that I can’t play more than two matches”,said Ferrer.
Barty and Ebden came back from one set down to win the mixed doubles match against Muguruza and Ferrer in three sets by the scoreline of 3-4 (3-5) 4-3 4-3 (5-3). Both teams traded breaks in the early stages of the first set. Ferrer and Muguruza claimed the tie-break 5-3. Barty and Ebden won the tie-break of the second set 5-0 forcing the match to the third set. There were four breaks in the first six games. The home players won the final two points from 3-3 to win the tie-break.
Zverev and Kerber lead Germany to win over France
Three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber came back from one set down to beat Alizé Cornet 5-7 6-2 6-4 in two hours and three minutes in the opening match of the tie between Germany and France.
Kerber saved seven of the ten break points she faced and converted five of her eleven break points. The German player drew the first blood breaking serve in the first game after Cornet made a double fault. She was solid on her serve, but she was broken in the 10th game, as she was serving to win the first set. Cornet sealed the first set on her third set point with a deep return at 6-5 after 45 minutes.
Kerber converted her third break point in the first game of the second set. Cornet broke back in the second game, when Kerber sent her forehand long. Kerber earned her second break in the third game. Kerber saved two break points in the sixth game before breaking serve with a backhand cross court winner in the seventh game. Kerber saved two break points at 5-2 and sealed with a forehand error from Cornet. Kerber broke serve at love in the third game of the decider and fought off a break point with a backhand down the line winner in the next game. Kerber hit a service winner with a service winner in the 10th game.
Alexander Zverev needed three sets to edge Lucas Pouille 6-3 6-7 6-2 in two hours and nine minutes. The 21-year-old German player fought off seven of the eight break points he faced and broke serve four times.
Zverev fended off three break points in the first game. Zverev broke serve at 15 in the eighth game after a backhand error from Pouille. The German held serve at love in the ninth game and closed out the opening set with a service winner. Zverev fought off the only break point at 4-5 after a forehand error from Pouille. Pouille wasted three set points at 6-3 in the tie-break and faced the match point. Zverev made a backhand error to lose the tie-break 10-8.
Both players exchanged breaks in the second and third games of the decisive set. Zverev broke in the sixth game after a double fault from Pouille. Zverev broke again in the eighth game to win the third set 6-2 to give Germany a 2-0 lead over France.
“Lucas fought well and played well in the important moments. He is a very tough opponent and I think he is going to do well in the Australian Open. You want to play tough opponents, you want to play the best players before a Grand Slam. I have played two very good players, and I am very happy to get some matches under the belt”,said Zverev.
Pouille and Cornet recovered from 1-3 down in the opening set to win the mixed doubles 4-3 4-3 after 52 minutes to close the gap to 2-1.