2011 Hopman Cup: Review Session 5 – Belgium vs. Kazakhstan
Having played their opening matches over the weekend, Group B members returned to the courts on Tuesday for their second matches of the round robin stage at the Hopman Cup. Representing their respective countries, 16 tennis players are participating at the 2011 Hopman Cup in Perth this week.
Kicking off session 5 in the event was Justine Henin, as she played Yaroslava Shvedova for Belgium versus Kazakhstan respectively. Having lost their opening clashes, both teams have a win loss record of 0-1 in the event so far.
Earlier in the tournament, coming back from a premature retirement due to an injury, Henin played her opening clash in the event against Aussie Alicia Molik on Sunday. Determined for a victory after recovering from her injury, Henin defeated Molik in straight sets registering a twin set score of 6-4, 6-4. Despite Henin’s win over Molik on Saturday, Belgium lost the opening clash against Australia .
Henin was injured in 2010 during her Wimbledon match when she slipped and suffered a ligament fracture in her elbow. Despite the premature retirement, Henin finished ranked 12th in the world, courtesy of four final appearances. She won the title at Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and at the 2010 UNICEF Open, despite making it to the finals, she failed to clinch the title at Brisbane and the Australian Open.
Playing her second match in the event, Henin was pitted against a lower ranked Shvedova though the latter is quite the doubles star having won the titles at 2010 Wimbledon and 2010 United States Open. She also made it to the finals of the mixed doubles at the Roland Garros partnering Julian Knowle. Ranked 39th in the world singles ranking, Shvedova finished the year with no title wins though she did put in final appearances at the Marbella event and at the UNICEF Open. Shvedova had played her opening match against Ana Ivanovic on Sunday and lost in straight sets after putting up a respectable fight.
Henin opened serve in the first set. Winning games on their serves, they kept the score tied until 4-4. Breaking Shvedova’s service in the ninth game and then winning on hers in the tenth, Henin bagged the first set 6-4. Henin repeated the feat in the second to clinch it 6-3. Her 2-0 win over the Kazakh allowed Belgium to enjoy a 1-0 lead against Kazakhstan.
Belgium’s lead extended to 2-0 when Ruben Bemelmans played and defeated Andrey Golubev. Defeating Golubev, Bemelmans was able to level his match score to 1-1 for the event having lost his opening clash against Lleyton Hewitt last Saturday. Golubev, on the other hand, slid down to a 0-2 mark for the event. Having the misfortune of playing world number three Novak Djokovic last Sunday, Golubev lost his opening match at the event.
Bemelmans opened serve in the first set, rushed into the lead and broke serve in the ninth game to clinch a 6-4 victory. He continued his form into the second set to repeat the score and bag it 6-4. Winning his match Bemelmans helped win the tie for Belgium, levelling its score to 1-1 at the event. Kazakhstan, however, sports a disappointing 0-2.
The Belgians continued to win the tie with a perfect 3-0 after winning the hard fought mixed doubles match. Losing the first set 4-6, the Belgians bounced back in the second to win it 6-2 taking the match into a tiebreaker. They eventually clinched the tiebreak 10-8 for a perfect 3-0 victory over the Kazakhs.
Belgians next play Serbia on Friday while the Kazakhs play the Aussies on the same day.
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