Francesca Schiavone to play in Hopman Cup 2011
French Open champion Francesca Schiavone will play for Italy in the 2011 Hopman Cup, it has been announced.
Italy’s top-ranked women’s player will partner with compatriot Potito Starace, the world No. 50 and the Italian men’s No. 1, in the mixed teams competition, which takes place in the lead-up to the Australian Open in January.
World No. 8 Schiavone’s addition to the Hopman Cup line-up means the event is set to feature six past and present Grand Slam champions, with Schiavone and Serena Williams the two reigning major winners set to play for their respective countries in Perth.
The announcement of Italy’s team for the event leaves the field just one team away from completion with last year’s winners, Spain, and runners-up, Great Britain, yet to announce whether they’ll be returning in 2011, and the composition of their team if they are.
Teams previously announced including the USA (Williams and John Isner); Belgium (Justine Henin and Steve Darcis); Serbia (Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic); France (Kristina Mladenovic and Gael Monfils); and Kazakhstan (Yaroslava Shvedova and Andrey Golubev).
Host nation Australia had also previously announced half of their Hopman Cup team, with Australian men’s No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt in August committing to play in the Perth competition.
Hewitt had partnered Australia’s top-ranked women’s player Sam Stosur in this year’s Hopman Cup, for very little success, but with Stosur committing to play in the ranking tournament in Brisbane next year – which clashes with the team tournament – a new partner was needed for next year’s event.
Answering the call is world No. 95 Alicia Molik, who partnered Hewitt to the Hopman Cup final in 2003, only to fall to the American pairing of Williams and James Blake at the last hurdle.
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