The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Spain ends India's chances

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Friday, Jan 05, 2007
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Sport - Tennis

Spain ends India's chances

Perth: Top-seeded Russia will play Spain in the Hopman Cup mixed teams tennis final.

Russia advanced first on Thursday from Group A when Nadia Petrova and Dmitry Tursunov won their singles matches then combined in mixed doubles for a 3-0 win over France.

Later, second-seeded Spain qualified when it won the two opening matches of its final Group B round-robin against previously unbeaten India.

Anabel Medina Garrigues beat Sania Mirza of India 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 before Spain's Tommy Robredo defeated Rohan Bopanna 6-2, 6-3.

Sania's weeklong winning streak ended mostly because of her 61 unforced errors against Medina Garrigues.

Russia and Spain will play on Friday night in the final at Burswood Dome.

The Czech Republic had an outside chance of making it to the final, but lost 2-1 to Croatia in another late Group B match.

Unforced errors

Petrova beat Tatiana Golovin of France 7-6(2), 6-0 and California-based Tursunov defeated Jerome Haehnel 6-1, 6-4 in singles.

Petrova and Tursunov then combined to beat Golovin and Haehnel 6-4, 6-2 to complete the whitewash and finish the round-robin at 2-1.

France also finished at 2-1 but did not qualify for the final due to its loss to Russia.

The results:

Group `A': Spain bt India 2-0 (Anabel Medina Garrigues bt Sania Mirza 3-6, 6-1, 6-3; Tommy Robredo defeated Rohan Bopanna 6-2, 6-3).

Russia bt France 3-0 (Nadia Petrova bt Tatiana Golovin 7-6(2), 6-0; Dmitry Tursunov bt Jerome Haehnel 6-1, 6-4; Petrova & Tursunov bt Golovin & Haehnel 6-4, 6-2.

Australia bt U.S. 2-1 (Alicia Molik bt Ashley Harkleroad 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Nathan Healey lost to Mardy Fish 5-7, 5-7; Molik & Healey bt Harkleroad & Fish 6-4, 7-5).

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