Hopman Cup 2015: Preview and Draw
Hopman Cup 2015: Preview and Draw
Exhibition
Although the official ATP season has began in earnest with three 250 level tournaments happening this week, the Hopman Cup provides an event for players to start their season in a slightly different environment. Played in the punishing condtions of Perth, it provides great preparation for conditions that players will face at the Australian Open format.
Format
The popular exhibition event takes the format of a team competition, where nations enter as a male and female player. Each tie consists of a men’s singles, women’s singles and a mixed doubles. All are best of three sets and as it is an Exhibition there is a nice mixture of serious tennis and light-hearted moments.
There are 8 teams competing in the 2015 Hopman Cup, split into two groups of four. Each team plays each other in the group stage, with the winner of each group going on to contest the final on Sunday.
Group A
United States are the team that jump out at you from Group A, with Serena Williams teaming up with late replacement John Isner to form a formidable outfit. Whilst Williams has had here problems at recent Exhibition events, the world number 1 will be favourite in her singles matches and a huge factor in the mixed doubles.
The young Canadian duo of Eugenie Bouchard and Varek Pospisil are an exciting prospect, although Bouchard has been really struggling for form of late. She performed consistently well at the Grand Slams in 2014 and will look to find her best tennis leading up to the Australian Open.
Husband and wife combo Flavia Pennetta and Fabio Fognini make up a strong Italian team, with Fongini’s bad temper likely to be kept under wraps when teaming up with his other half. Czech Republic complete Group A and are going to struggle.
Sunday 4 January
10am – Canada v Czech Republic
Monday 5 January
10am – Italy v USA
Tuesday 6 January
10am – Czech Republic v Italy
5.30pm – Canada v USA
Thursday 8 January
10am – Canada v Italy
5.30pm – Czech Republic v USA
Saturday 10 January
3.30pm – FINAL (winner Group A v winner Group B)
Group B
Great Britain are the headline grabbing team in Group B, with world number 6 Andy Murray teaming up with youngster Heather Watson, having had a level of success at the Hopman Cup previously when partnering Laura Robson.
The Australian, French and Polish partnerships all look to be relatively evenly matched on paper. The lethal serve of Jerzy Janowics is one to look out for in both his singles and mixed doubles matches and it will be interesting to see how his opponents fare.
Sunday 4 January
5.30pm – Australia v Poland
Monday 5 January
5.30pm – Great Britain v France
Wednesday 7 January
10am – Great Britain v Poland
5.30pm – Australia v France
Friday 9 January
10am – France v Poland
5.30pm – Australia v Great Britain
Saturday 10 January
3.30pm – FINAL (winner Group A v winner Group B)
Prediction
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The Hopman Cup is never easy to predict, with some teams taking the event more seriously than others. From Group A I think that the USA have quality in excess and should top their group. Great Britain could well be their final opponents, as Andy Murray in particular that has the competitive edge that means you know he will do everything to win.
The USA against Great Britain would be a great final and would most likely go down to a mixed doubles decider if Williams and Murray won their singles matches. In the mixed doubles I fear the Heather Watson might be silghtly exposed for her lack of experience and despite her great fighting qualities, I pick USA to win the Hopman Cup.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!