Slovak Republic pair of Dominik Hrbaty and Dominika Cibulkova pulled off a major upset to win the $1-million ITF Hyundai Hopman Cup tennis championship in Perth’s Burswood Dome.
It was the Slovak nation’s 3rd Cup win in eight appearances at the international mixed teams championship.
The victory was clinched by Hrbaty in a thrilling singles battle, beating Russia’s Marat Safin, a former world No. 1, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 7-6 (7/3). Earlier, Cibulkova had beaten world no. 3 Dinara Safina 6-7 (3/7), 6-1, 6-4.
In a power-packed six hours of tennis, the Slovaks survived against higher-ranked opponents after both teams had gone into the final undefeated from their three round robin matches.
The 19-year-old Cibulkova, ranked 19 in the world, converted five of her 10 break point opportunities in her singles win and completed the week unbeaten in four matches, plus two mixed doubles.
Her partner, who celebrated his 31st birthday earlier in Cup week, survived numerous crisis moments as the powerful Safin blasted 22 aces past him.
The victory belied Hrbaty’s singles ranking of 252 after a career high of 14. Safin, ranked at 29 after a year of injury, has announced that this could well be his last year on Tour.
The Slovaks shared a winner’s prize of A$250,000, plus two diamond-encrusted tennis balls.
P.S. If you do not know the relationship between Cibulkova and Jurgen Melzer, click here.
(Via Hopman Cup official website; Images by Tony Ashby/AFP/Getty Images))
Peng Shuai, one of China's top players in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles, is planning to take her game to the next level.
Recently she announced on New Year's Day a new partnership with world-renowned tennis coach Tarik Benhabiles.
The pair began training last month in Florida, and they will continue to work together full-time throughout 2009.In 2008, Peng reached two singles finals and won two doubles titles on the Tour, eventually finishing the season ranked No.40.
The 22-year-old splitted with former coach Zhang Depei last year. Peng has been looking for committed cooperation with a new coach - and now she seems to have found it.Benhabiles is a former professional tennis player, reached a career-high of no.22 on the ATP World Tour Rankings and represented France in Davis Cup. He captured the Roland Garros junior singles title in 1981 and the French National Championships in 1986.
He ended his playing career in 1992 and started to coach a young Andy Roddick, taking the American superstar into the Top 10 in 2003. Besides a strong relationship with Roddick, Benhabiles has worked with other top players, including Benjamin Becker, Ivo Karlovic and Gael Monfils.
Benhabiles is also the founder of the Tarik Benhabiles Tennis Academy, an elite tennis school in Florida that helps create and train future tennis stars."Peng Shuai is a disciplined player with many weapons and superior internal strengths," Benhabiles said.
"She is a girl of destiny and I expect her to be in the top group of the rankings by year's end."
(Via sonyericssonwtatour.com)
Richard Gasquet made a stunning comeback against French countryman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to book his place in the Brisbane International semifinals. 
Back to Gasquet, he will face Radek Stepanek in the semifinals after he triumph over Robin Soderling 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. 
It's because Ana Ivanovic will not be in Brisbane to cheer for him as she has already touched down Melbourne to practice for the first Grand Slam tournament of the year.
