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Saturday Nov 16, 2024
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Williams will pair up with John Isner for the United States in the mixed-team event in Western Australia this week as the 18-times grand slam singles champion bids for a sixth title at the Melbourne showpiece later this month.
Temperatures in Perth are expected to reach 41 degrees Celsius and Williams, who won the last of her Australian Open titles in 2010, said she was looking forward to the warm feeling in Monday’s opener against Italy after a cool winter at home. “If anything it’s going to help me for Melbourne,” Williams told reporters on Sunday. “Perth is one of the most hottest places I’ve ever played, so it will be really good for the preparation in Melbourne, which is always super hot. I haven’t won in Australia for several years, but there’s also a lot of other people who want too. I’ll just have to do my best.”
With Flavia Pennetta, Czech Lucie Safarova and Bouchard as opponents in the round robin matches at the Hopman Cup, Williams will have no dearth of quality opposition.
“The women’s field is excellent here. It’s going to be great,” the 33-year-old said. “More than anything it’s a great time to get match play and not get stressed out too much. Usually I’m really stressed (in knockout tournaments), so this will be really good for me.”
The 27-year-old Safarova showed she had adjusted quickest to the conditions in Perth as she breezed past world number seven Bouchard 6-0 6-4. “It’s the best way I could imagine and I started really strong and was pressuring her from the first point,” said the world number 16. I had a really hard and good off season in Florida and another week at home in Czech and I came here, it’s the fifth day here, so I’ve had time to adjust to the hot conditions.” Safarova later teamed up with Adam Pavlasek, who lost his singles match to Vasek Pospisil, to win the mixed doubles and lead Czech Republic to a win over Canada.
World number six Agnieszka Radwanska also made a winning start in her preparation for Melbourne, where she reached the semi-finals last year.
The 2012 Wimbledon finalist did not have to break too much sweat as she defeated Casey Dellacqua 6-2 6-3 in an evening match to give Poland a 1-0 lead against Australia.
Murray wins Mubadala tennis final as Djokovic reports ill
Andy Murray of Britain (L) receives the trophy from Khaldoon al-Mubarak, chief executive officer of Mubadala, after winning the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi 3 January, following the withdrawal of Novak Djokovic of Serbia – REUTERS
Reuters: World number one Novak Djokovic sent a message to the organisers in Abu Dhabi on Saturday: “I’ve been sick today with a fever and I’m not fit to play.”
With that, his opponent in the final, Andy Murray, stepped forward to receive the Mubadala championship trophy, and spared himself a bruising match before reporting to Perth, Western Australia for the Hopman Cup championships.
Murray, like all the players in Abu Dhabi, is preparing for the opening grand slam event of the season, the Australian Open, beginning on 19 January. “I heard earlier that Novak wasn’t feeling well, so it happens,” Murray told spectators before receiving his trophy. “It is one of the tough things about an individual sport that you can’t substitute, players in team events obviously you can do that. It’s just an unfortunate way to finish the week.”
“It has been a very good first couple of matches,” the Scot continued. “I played a very tough one with Lopez on the first day and then yesterday against Rafa (Nadal) I played very well, you know it was a good start to the new year. You know hopefully I keep getting better. I go over to Australia this evening to play my next event in Perth and hopefully I can keep it going.” |
