Australia beats Argentina
in Hopman Cup
By Associated Press, 1/2/2002 03:56
PERTH, Australia (AP) Lleyton Hewitt ignored a high fever Wednesday to win his
singles match, then combined with Australian teammate Alicia Molik to beat Argentina
at the Hopman Cup mixed tennis tournament.
Hewitt evened the match at 1-1 with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Mariano Zabaleta at
the indoor Burswood Dome after Molik was beaten 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-4 by Argentina's
Paola Suarez.
Hewitt and Molik dropped the first set of the mixed doubles, but came back for
a 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 win, including a 10-7 margin in the deciding super tiebreaker,
to take the match 2-1, Australia's second straight at the tournament.
On Thursday, Australia will play Spain, also 2-0, with the winner advancing from
Group B to Saturday's final.
Hewitt was broken in his first service game, but it was the only time he dropped
his service during the match.
''I don't feel great, that's no secret,'' said Hewitt, who received treatment
from a doctor on Wednesday morning after falling ill overnight.
Tournament director Paul McNamee said he was surprised with Hewitt's performance
after seeing the Australian arrive at the tournament site.
''Put it this way, there are players who wouldn't have played if they were in
the same shape,'' McNamee said.
Suarez struggled with Molik's powerful serve in the first set of the women's singles,
but took control in the tiebreaker when the 20-year-old Australian struggled to
return serve.
After Molik won the second set, Suarez broke serve in the third game before trading
service games to win the match.
The United States, 1-0 and represented by Jan Michael Gambill and Monica Seles,
played Italy later Wednesday.