Music: {allcanada} Bouchard inspires Canadian Hopman Cup win

Saturday, December 28, 2013

{allcanada} Bouchard inspires Canadian Hopman Cup win

Stanley Cup Classics - NHL Stanley Cup

Perth (Australia) (AFP) - Teenager Eugenie Bouchard emphasised her status as one of the most promising players in women's tennis by leading Canada to a 2-1 win over Australia at the mixed teams Hopman Cup on Saturday.

The 19-year-old was named the WTA's Newcomer of the Year in November and opened her new season with the prized scalp of former US Open winner and world number 18 Samantha Stosur.

The hard-hitting Bouchard, ranked 32nd in the world, came from a set down to beat the local favourite in three sets, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, to secure the Group A tie for the Canadians.

Earlier, the powerful serve of Milos Raonic broke the spirit of Bernard Tomic as the 11th-ranked Canadian cruised to a straight sets win, 7-6 (8/6), 6-1, to give Canada first blood in the tie.

The host nation won the dead mixed doubles rubber.

Bouchard was pleased to have reversed her loss to Stosur in the final in Osaka in October.

"We had a good battle in Osaka and I got my revenge tonight."

Stosur started the match well enough, but her game started to disintegrate in the second set, when the pair traded service breaks until Bouchard steadied late to level the match.

Bouchard broke the normally imposing Stosur serve in four successive games, including to secure the second set.

The Canadian gained the only break of the final set in the eighth game and then served it out.

Raonic slammed down 19 aces against Tomic, who once again showed little fight in the second set, after the opening stanza was a tight struggle.

Earlier in the day, world number five Agnieszka Radwanska got her new season off to a fine start with a straight sets win over Flavia Pennetta as Poland beat Italy 3-0.

After Radwanska edged past the 31st-ranked Pennetta, the Poles clinched the tie in unlikely circumstances, with the 288th-ranked Grzegorz Panfil handed victory over Andreas Seppi in the men's singles when the Italian retired due to illness.

Panfil, who was a late call-up for the tournament following the withdrawal of Jerzy Janowicz due to injury, won the first set 6-4 and scores were level at 2-2 in the second when Seppi retired, complaining of dizziness.

That gave Poland an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the Group A encounter and they were handed a clean sweep when Seppi also withdrew from the mixed doubles.

Radwanska only arrived in Perth the night before her match against Pennetta, but looked in good touch in cruising to a 6-2, 6-2 win against the Italian, who has been ranked as high as 10th in the world.

The match was closer than the scoreline suggested, with the Italian creating six break points to Radwanska's four.

While the Pole claimed all of hers Pennetta was unable to convert any as she was punished by her own errors against the defensive skills of the ultra-consistent Radwanska.

The 24-year-old Radwanska was pleased to perform so well given the circumstances of her opening match.

"I didn't have much time to adjust and I only slept for like three hours," she said after a match that was played under an open roof on a warm day.

"In Poland it was about five degrees so I was very happy I could play my best tennis, playing alright for the first day here."

The 25th-ranked Seppi should have been far too good for Panfil, but the Italian never looked comfortable on the court after being broken in the very first game.

Seppi told tournament officials he was hopeful of being fit to play in Italy's next tie against Australia on Tuesday.

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