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India knocked out of Hopman Cup
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January 03, 2008 11:58 IST
Last Updated: January 03, 2008 14:31 IST

Indian hopes of making the final of the Hopman Cup ended when the United States defeated hosts Australia to top Group B in Perth on Thursday.

India, knowing that even a win in the last league encounter was not enough to make the title clash, later lost 1-2 to the Czech Republic.

When the day started, India needed a win against Czech Republic combined with a US defeat in their last Group B tie, to make their first Hopman Cup final.

Sania Mirza [Images] and Rohan Bopanna were outplayed in singles though they were succesful in stretching their unbeaten run in the mixed doubles as Indians finished second in the group.

Sania went down fighting against world number 23 Lucie Safarova and Bopanna failed to counter the class of Tomas Berdych.

Sania recovered from a sloppy first set but failed to sustain the momentum and eventually lost 2-6, 6-4, 3-6 in 110 minutes to hand the Czechs a 1-0 lead.

All the responsibility of a comeback fell on the shoulders of Bopanna, who was outclassed by Berdych 6-4, 6-0 in just 58 minutes.

The Indians, however, combined well to earn a 6-3, 6-2 win in the dead mixed rubber.

The Indian pair's victory was their sixth on the trot in the Hopman Cup having won all their three mixed doubles ties last year.

India lost 1-2 to United States, won 2-1 against Australia before this defeat.

Sania managed just one singles victory this year while Bopanna is yet to win one at the event.



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