Murray and Robson complete Hopman Cup field
Andy Murray and Laura Robson will team up again to represent Great Britain at the Hopman Cup, it has been announced.
The entry of the British pair into the Hopman Cup field for 2011 completes the eight team line-up for the mixed team event, which also includes the USA, Belgium, Serbia, France, Kazakhstan, Italy and Australia.
World No. 4 Murray and 201st-ranked Robson joined forces for their homeland with some success this January, when they reached the Hopman Cup final only to be defeated by Spain – who will not be returning next year to defend their title.
While Murray may be again foregoing the opportunity to win ranking points elsewhere by participating in the Hopman Cup, the Scot will surely be counting on his trip to Perth once again proving to be the ideal preparation for his assault on the Australian Open.
Murray this year arrived in Melbourne for the year’s first Grand Slam fresh from the Hopman Cup and turned in his best performance at a major for 2010, finishing as runner-up to Roger Federer.
The rest of the season has not gone to plan for Murray, whose form slumped in the aftermath of that loss, and though he built some momentum with a Wimbledon semi-final finish and his first title of the season at the Canadian Masters 1000, a third-round loss at the US Open (where he was runner-up) has again raised questions about whether he is a genuine Grand Slam contender or just a pretender to the throne.
He’ll no doubt be looking for a fresh start when he teams up with 16-year-old Robson for the Hopman Cup while Robson herself will be looking to reproduce some of the form that saw her secure an upset victory over then world No. 26 María José Martínez Sánchez in the final this year.
The Britons though will have their work cut out for them to replicate last year’s result in a field that includes no less than six past and present Grand Slam champions, including the USA’s Serena Williams, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and a resurgent Ana Ivanovic, as well as Belgium’s Justine Henin, Italy’s Francesca Schiavone and Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt.
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