U.S. hold off Netherlands to lift fourth Hopman Cup
The U.S. squeezed out a record fourth title at the 750,000-dollar Hopman Cup with a 2-1 win Friday night over qualifier the Netherlands in a contest which turned on the deciding mixed doubles.
Taylor Dent and Lisa Raymond put the Americans into command of the tournament winner’s table after 18 editions of the mixed team event, coming through to complete a quartet of trophies in the final rubber of the week.
Holland’s teenage talent Michaella Krajicek and seasoned journeyman Peter Wessels flirted with the upset but couldn’t nose over the line in the end at the Burwood Dome.
The Dutch, the third qualifying side to reach a title match here, were bidding to follow Slovakia as the only long-odds nation to lift the title.
The 30th-ranked Dent hammered home a win over Peter Wessels 6-1, 6-4.
His effort provided a level scoreline heading into the deciding mixed doubles after Krajicek, three days from her 17th birthday, stopped Raymond 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
“I played very well today,” said Dent. “I struggled a bit in the first set, but this was one of the best tennis experiences in my life.
More: bangkokpost.com
Related Travel Information
Rice to visit Indonesia, Australia
The Netherlands have ended Australia's chances of qualifying for the finals of the Hopman Cup with a 2-1 victory at the Burswood Dome.
The tie was poised at 1-1 after the singles rubbers, but the Dutch team of Michaella Krajicek and Peter Wessels took the overall win when they claimed the mixed doubles rubber 6-4 6-2.
Earlier, Samantha Stosur won the opening singles match in a second-set tiebreak, beating Krajicek 6-4 7-6 (10-8) to give Australia the initial lead.
Wessels hit back for the Netherlands with a 7-5 6-4 victory over Todd Reid that levelled the tie.
The Netherlands beat
India and South Africa out to cut Australia’s lead in the LG ICC Test Championship
India and South Africa could combine to cut Australia's lead at the top of the LG ICC Test Championship table to single figures over the next three weeks.
Ricky Ponting's side are currently on a rating of 128, 15 points clear of second-placed England ahead of their three-match series with the Proteas that starts in Perth on Friday, but by 22 December that lead could be reduced to 13 points.
That would happen if India wins the third Test against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad as it
India and South Africa out to cut Australia’s lead in the LG ICC Test Championship
India and South Africa could combine to cut Australia's lead at the top of the LG ICC Test Championship table to single figures over the next three weeks.
Ricky Ponting's side are currently on a rating of 128, 15 points clear of second-placed England ahead of their three-match series with the Proteas that starts in Perth on Friday, but by 22 December that lead could be reduced to 13 points.
That would happen if India wins the third Test against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad as it
The revival of the Indira Gandhi International Gold Cup hockey tournament for women has brought back Australia to defend the title won in 1996. Needless to stress, this will be the team to beat when the five-nation competition commences at the National Stadium here on Saturday.
On the opening day, India will start its campaign against lowly Malaysia.
The other teams in the fray, apart from Australia, are New Zealand and Italy.
Currently ranked fourth in the world behind the Netherlands, Argentina and Germany, Australia is expected to face sixth-ranked New Zealand in the final on October 8.
India,
In a press release, Axa said that Alfred Bouckaert, member of AXA's executive committee and chief executive of AXA Belgium, has been appointed Group CEO for AXA's Northern Europe region.
Bouckaert confirmed the CEOs of the company's AXA Art unit, and its units in the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland in their current positions.
AXA Konzern's supervisory board, chaired by Claas Kleyboldt, has appointed Eugene Teysen as chairman of the management board of AXA Konzern.
More: marketwatch.com
