Tournament Preview: Hopman Cup 30 December 2005 - 6 January 2006 MAGIC OF MIXED TENNIS RETURNS TO PERTH One of the more unique tournaments of the year is undoubtedly the Hopman Cup mixed teams event in Perth, Australia. Although not part of the ATP or WTA circuit, it is an official ITF event serving as an exhibition for West Australian crowds as well as ideal preparation for players in the lead-up to the Australian Open. 9 teams are invited from various countries made up of a male and female player. The first day of the tournament is a play-off between two qualifying countries to determine who makes it into the main draw. The 8 teams are divided into 2 groups and play each of the other teams in their group. The winner of Group A then plays the winner of Group B in the final on 6 January. The event has been the starting point for several players' careers, who first came to Perth as virtual unknowns (Roger Federer, Martina Hingis, Paradorn Srichaphan to name a few), however many top players have accepted to play here even at the height of their careers (Boris Becker, Steffi Graf, Marat Safin, Serena Williams and the list goes on). Hopman Cup XVIII is no exception. Russia was to be the number 1 seed with Marat Safin returning to team up this time with 2004 US Open champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova, however, due to a knee injury that has sidelined for the latter half of 2005, he has had to withdraw and Teimuraz Gabashvili will take his place. Argentina have Gisela Dulko back, teaming up in 2006 with 2004 French Open champion Gaston Gaudio. Argentina were finalists at Hopman Cup XVIII and will be looking to go one step better this year. The home favourites will be seeded 3 with Samantha Stosur and Wayne Arthurs both making their Hopman Cup debut. Stosur was a late replacement for Alicia Molik, who was unable to participate due to illness. Number 4 seeds USA will also have new faces with doubles expert Lisa Raymond and Taylor Dent (son of former Australian player, Phil Dent) joining forces in their attempt to continue the USA's good record at this event. Amongst the unseeded teams, Germany will be one of the standouts with rising star, Anna-Lena Grönefeld returning for the second time and the experienced Nicolas Kiefer making his debut in Perth. Sweden replaced Belarus after Max Mirnyi double-booked himself at another tournament, and will be made up of Sofia Arvidsson and 2002 Australian Open champion, Thomas Johansson. Another drawcard will undoubtedly be the Serbia-Montenegro team comprising of two extremely promising young talents in world number 16 Ana Ivanovic and rising star Novak Djokovic.The two teams competing in the qualifying play-off will be China, with Shuai Peng and Peng Sun, and last year's favourites, the Netherlands keeping the same team of Michaella Krajicek and Peter Wessels. This year's Hopman Cup will also be one of the first tournaments to use Hawk-Eye Officiating to track the ball's trajectory and give unbiased line calls. Big screens at the end of the court will also be utilised so the crowd can see and be involved. On 6 January, the semifinals and finals of the Amateur Hopman Cup will also be happening in the lead-up to the prime-time Friday night final, which is yet another new innovation to this year's event. The tournament is also renowned for its unique trophies of exquisite diamond-encrusted tennis balls, which often give players even more motivation to win! One of the more prestigious events that always takes place at the tournament is the annual Hopman Cup New Year's Eve Ball where players, sponsors and other high profile stars get glammed up for a night on the red carpet at the Burswood Theatre. This year's theme is Winter Wonderland and is sure to be as entertaining as ever. Hopman Cup XVIII starts on Friday 30 December with the qualifying play-off at 10am. Saturday 31 December and Sunday 1 January have sessions starting at 10am only, and after that between Monday 2 January and Thursday 5 January, there will be both a day session starting at 10am and a night session starting at 5.30pm. The final on 6 January will commence at 5.30pm. For more details on match scheduling, visit http://www.hopmancup.com.au/default.aspx?id=201. The event is held at the lovely Burswood Enterntainment Complex (http://www.burswood.com.au/) which includes a 5 star resort (the official hotel), casino and the Burswood Dome where the tournament itself takes place. The resort is very close to the centre of the city and is easily accessible by car and bus. Tickets cost around AU$28 for an adult, however for more detailed information, visit http://www.hopmancup.com.au/default.aspx?id=411. They may be purchased online 24 hours a day through Bocs Ticketing (http://www.bocsticketing.com.au/) or by calling 1800 193 300. Having personally attended this tournament for the last 10 years, I can say it is always a lot of fun for spectators and players alike. So if you are planning on coming down and would like more information on Perth and Western Australia, visit WesternAustralia.com and bring in the new year in style at the Hopman Cup! Tournament Fast Facts: Venus: Burswood Dome, Perth, Australia Dates: 30 December 2005 - 6 January 2006 Teams: 8 (plus one alternate) Surface: Indoor Rebound Ace Prize Money: AU$1 000 000 Tournament Director: Paul McNamee Teams: GROUP A Russia: S. Kuznetsova & T. Gabashvili USA: L. Raymond & T. Dent Sweden: S. Arvidsson & T. Johansson Serbia & Montenegro: A. Ivanovic & N. Djokovic GROUP B Argentina: G. Dulko & G. Gaudio Australia: S. Stosur & W. Arthurs Germany: A-L. Grönefeld & N. Kiefer Play-off China: S. Peng & P. Sun or Netherlands: M. Krajicek & P. Wessels