Slovakia won their second Hopman Cup (Karina Habšudová and Karol
Kucera won it in 1998), having reached the final for the second year
running.

SLOVAKIA 3-0 ARGENTINA (Saturday)
+ Daniela Hantuchová d. Gisela Dulko, 1-6 6-4 6-4
+ Dominik Hrbatý d. Guillermo Coria, 6-4 6-1
+ Hantuchová/Hrbatý d. Dulko/Coria, walkover

The Daniela v Gisela match was the reason I'd rooted for a Slovakia
v Argentina final all week. Their first meeting turned out to be an
error-strewn encounter (particularly off Daniela's forehand, as
Gisela was quick to exploit in the first set), but it was a contest
of high drama between the most gorgeous girl in the world and an
exceedingly pretty one.

I followed live scores at www.hopmancup.com.au. Play started at
10:16 WST (02:16 GMT).

FIRST SET

Dani 0-0: 0/40 (3 BPs), broken
Gise 1-0: 15/15, 30/15, 30/30, 40/30, held
Dani 0-2: 15/0, 15/15, 15/30, 30/30, 40/30, 40/40, ad Gise (BP),
broken
Gise 3-0: 15/0, 15/15, 15/30, 30/30, 40/30, held
Dani 0-4: 30/0, 30/15, 40/15, held
Gise 4-1: 0/30, 15/30, 15/40 (2 BPs) -> 40/40, ad Dani (BP #3),
Deuce #2, ad Gise, Deuce #3, ad Gise, held
Dani 1-5: 0/40 (3 SPs), 15/40, 30/40, Gisela won first set 6-1 at
10:43.

I had predicted an easy win for Daniela over Gisela, who had lost
all three of her singles rubbers in the round-robin stage, but now I
was having to eat my own words. The game at 4-1 was a prime example
of Daniela not taking her opportunities, which I consider the main
reason for her disappointing results (by her standards) in 2004.

But even at the end of the first set, I strongly believed that
Daniela had it in her to fight back and win against the world number
#33 (even though Daniela is only ranked #31 herself, she has the
talent of a top-five player).


SECOND SET

Gise 0-0: 15/0, 15/15, 30/15, 30/30, 40/30, 40/40, ad Dani (BP),
broken
Dani 1-0: 0/15, 15/15, 15/30, 30/30, 30/40 (BP), 40/40, ad Dani,
Deuce #2, ad Dani, Deuce #3, ad Gise (BP #2), Deuce #4, ad Gise (BP
#3), Deuce #5, ad Dani, held
Gise 0-2: 30/15, 30/30, 40/30, held
Dani 2-1: 40/0, 40/15, held
Gise 1-3: 40/0, held
Dani 3-2: 0/15, 15/15, 15/30, 30/30, 40/30, 40/40, ad Gise (BP),
Deuce #2, ad Gise (BP #2), broken
Gise 3-3: 15/0, 15/15, 30/15, 30/30, 30/40 (BP), broken
Dani 4-3: 15/0, 15/15, 15/40 (2 BPs), broken
Gise 4-4: 0/15, 15/15, 30/15, 30/30, 30/40 (BP), 40/40, ad Dani (BP
#2), broken
Dani 5-4: 15/0, 15/15, 30/15, 30/30, 40/30 (SP), Daniela won second
set 6-4 at 11:30.

4-4 in the second was when I was most worried about Daniela losing
the match. I didn't like the idea of her having to serve to stay in
the match at 1-6 4-5 at all.


THIRD SET

Gise 0-0: 15/0, 15/15, 40/15, held
Dani 0-1: 30/0, 30/15, 30/30, 30/40 (BP), 40/40, ad Dani, held
Gise 1-1: 40/0, 40/30, held
Dani 1-2: 40/15, held
Gise 2-2: 40/0, held
Dani 2-3: 30/0, 30/15, 40/15, 40/30, held
Gise 3-3: 0/30, 15/30, 30/30, 40/30, 40/40, ad Gise, Deuce #2, ad
Dani (BP), broken (Gisela double-faulted)
Dani 4-3: 0/15, 15/15, 40/15, 40/30, held
Gise 3-5: 40/0, held
Dani 5-4: 15/0, 15/15, 40/15 (2 MPs), Daniela won 1-6 6-4 6-4 at
12:10 and screamed at the top of her lungs!

I'm so happy that Daniela was successful at serving for the match at
5-4. This is where I have come to expect her to struggle in closing
out matches, and it would have been too bad if Daniela had suffered
the same fate as my new girl Vera Zvonareva, who led 5-3 in the
third against Venus Williams in Hong Kong and failed to serve it out
at 5-4.


Daniela: "I'm just so happy that I got through this. I didn't really
feel like I was playing my best and I just tried to hang in there
and fight for every point. It paid off in the end, and I'm really
glad I've got the first point for our country.

"I was struggling a lot today I think on every shot because I was
just so tired and nervous. That's what happens sometimes. I'm just
really glad that I didn't give up and just kept fighting for every
point. I had to work hard for every point because I didn't really
feel like I had a good rhythm and I had to really dig deep."

"I was thinking about how badly I wanted to win this one because it
means a lot to us and I really wanted to give Dominik a good start
to the match."

While it's great to hear how much Daniela wants to win, this kind of
thinking is what can trigger a choke. If you're in the middle of a
tight match, you don't want to be thinking about the consequences of
winning or losing. You need to "stay in the moment", concentrating
on the ball, and running down every ball simply for the thrill of
the fight.


I wasn't expecting Dominik Hrbatý to beat Guillermo Coria, but he
thrashed an out-of-sorts Coria 6-4 6-1 to give Slovakia an
unassailable 2:0 lead and finish the week without dropping a set in
singles.

Dominik: "I'm the kind of guy who likes to go in the team
competitions. When I play Davis Cup I can get 120% out of myself, I
don't know how. If I could play like I do in Davis Cup every time I
came to a tournament, I would be for sure top 10 all year round."


So the tie didn't need a mixed-doubles rubber to decide it, to my
relief as Gisela in particular had been playing fantastic doubles
this week (from what I read on WTAworld).

In fact Coria pulled out of the dead doubles rubber with a sore
back, so Slovakia were awarded a walkover. Instead, Daniela and
Dominik played an exhibition-match against Gisela and her brother
(and coach) Alejandro. The Slovaks beat the Dulkos 8-4.


Daniela: "It's been like a dream week for me. I had so much fun with
Dominik and I can't tell you how happy I am to be here winning the
Hopman Cup. It's something special and it's amazing for our country
because there's just 5 million people."


Interviews:
http://www.hopmancup.com.au/default.aspx?id=131&CAT_CategoryID=2


Photos of Daniela and Gisela:

http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news/?c=news_photos&p=hantuchova
(Do not search for "dulko". They spell her name as "Anna-Lena
Groenefeld". :rolleyes:)

http://editorial.gettyimages.com/MS_GINS/source/home/home.aspx?pg=1
(search for "hantuchova")


Photos mainly of Daniela:
http://www.wtaworld.com/showthread.php?t=145351&page=5

--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/
http://www.geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/hantu/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/danielahantuchova/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Gisela_Dulko/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jeldani/