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Tennis
Seles, Gambill guide U.S. to victory
PERTH, DEC. 31. Monica Seles and Jan-Michael Gambill gave the top-seeded U.S. a decisive victory over unseeded France in a Hopman Cup tennis clash at Burswood Dome here on Monday.
The pair, having both their singles encounter, wrapped the doubles encounter to give the U.S. a 3-0 clean sweep. The ousted the French pair of Arnaud Clement and Virginie Razzano 6- 1, 6-4.
Earlier, Jan-Michael Gambill battled past Australian Open runner-up Arnaud Clement 6-4, 6-4. Monica Seles out-classed France's Virginie Razzano 6-3, 6-4 in the first singles of the mixed team event.
Gambill started in fine form, breaking the Australian Open runner-up in the first game with some powerful hitting from the back of the court and deft volleying. Clement broke back immediately, using his lightning speed to chase down balls, to set up an intriguing contest at the Burswood Dome.
Another break for the American in the seventh game proved decisive as Gambill three games later served out the set 6-4 with two thumping aces.
The flamboyantly-dressed Clement used the changeover to change his bandana, yellow glasses and yellow shirt to a bright red outfit with matching red sunglasses. But Gambill continued where he had left off finding superb depth with his unorthodox double-handed forehand and backhand.
The American got the breakthrough in the third game when Clement misjudged and left a passing shot which drifted inside the line and then dumped a forehand into the net to lose serve.
Another break two games later left Gambill 4-1 ahead and firmly in control. He relaxed his grip, though, and handed Clement a break as the Frenchman clawed his way back from 5-1 down to 5-4 down. But Gambill refused to be beaten and finally served out 6-4.
But Razzano was unable to hold her own serve as Seles repeatedly stepped into the return and thumped winners into the corners. Seles finally got her swinging left hand serve working in the seventh game and held comfortably for a 4-3 lead before breaking again and then serving out for the opening set, clinching it with an ace after 29 minutes.
The American World No. 10 broke her opponent immediately in the second set and then held for a 2-0 lead as she took a grip of the match.
Razzano continued slapping away from the back of the court, and got the break back in the eighth game with a backhand screamer down the line which left Seles staring in disbelief.
But the American broke back straight away, tempting Razzano to overstretch herself and the Frenchwoman did, unnecessarily netting a simple forehand on breakpoint by trying to hit too hard.
Seles, winner of Hopman Cup III when she represented her country of birth Yugoslavia with Goran Prpic, made no mistake serving for the match, sealing victory in 62 minutes.
Gambill and Seles team up to play the French pair in the remaining mixed doubles.
Spain routs Argentina
Third-seeded Spain defeated unseeded Argentina 3-0 in a first round Hopman Cup tennis clash at Burswood Dome here on Sunday.
Nineteen-year-old Tommy Robredo clinched victory for Spain, winner of the cup 12 years ago, when he overcame Mariano Zabaleta in three sets in a men's singles match.
Robredo won 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in 113 minutes. Spanish veteran Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario had earlier given her country a flying start when she beat Paola Suarez in a women's singles clash. The 30-year-old former World No. 1, now ranked 18th, won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3 in 80 minutes.
The Spaniards completed a clean sweep when Robredo and Sanchez-Vicario teamed up to beat Zabaleta and Suarez in the mixed doubles 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-5).
The results:
U.S. bt France 3-0. Jan-Michael Gambill bt Arnaud Clement 6-4, 6-4; Monica Seles bt Virginie Razzano 6-3, 6- 4; Gambill/Seles bt Clement/Razzano 6-1, 6-4.
Spain bt Argentina 3-0. Tommy Robredo bt Mariano Zabaleta 4-6, 6-2, 6-3; Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario bt Paola Suarez 6-2, 6-3. Robredo/Vicario bt Zabaleta/Suarez 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-5).
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