Swiss win Hopman Cup

Federer and Hingis with the Hopman Cup Keystone

Switzerland have won the Hopman Cup tennis competition, beating the United States 2-1 in the final. Martina Hingis and Roger Federer secured the victory with convincing wins in both their singles matches.

The world number one, Hingis, gave Switzerland a winning start with a 7-5 6-4 win over the world number four, Monica Seles.

The high-quality game saw a tight first set, Hingis twice taking the lead only to see Seles level each time. At 5-5, Hingis broke her opponent’s serve for the third time and held on to her own serve in the final game to clinch the set.

The second set saw Seles continue to put up a strong challenge. Both players comfortably held on to their serve until 4-4, when Seles netted a double-handed forehand to give Hingis the vital break.

The 19 year-old Federer followed with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Jan-Michael Gambill, giving Switzerland an unassailable 2-0 lead in the final.

The Americans were able to find some consolation in the mixed doubles rubber, beating Hingis and Federer in three sets, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).

On their way to victory in the Australian city of Perth, Federer and Hingis eliminated last year’s winners, South Africa, in the semi-final.

It is the second time Switzerland has won the Hopman Cup, following the triumph of Jakob Hlasek and Manuela Maleeva in 1992.

For Hingis, Saturday’s win was her first Hopman Cup win in four attempts, although she has never lost a singles match in any of her appearances at the Perth event.

Hingis partnered Marc Rosset to the final in 1996, but the duo were forced to abandon at 5-5 in the deciding doubles game, after Rosset hit an advertising panel in frustration and injured his wrist.

swissinfo with agencies