By Alberto Amalfi
© Mark Peterson/Corleve
(October 12, 2010) Andy Murray and Laura Robson will join forces again in January to make another run at the Hopman Cup. World No. 4 Murray will partner former Wimbledon junior champion Robson for Great Britain at the ITF international mixed teams championship set for January 1-8th at the Burswood Dome in Perth.
Murray joins World No. 2 Novak Djokovic, Lleyton Hewitt, Serena Williams and Justine Henin in entering the event.
"I'm looking forward to going back to the Hopman Cup," Murray said. "For me, it was a good start to the year and we went pretty close to winning. I look forward to playing with Laura once again."
Murray and Robson competed in last year’s Hopman where they went all the way to the final, losing to an inspired Spanish squad featuring Tommy Robredo and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. Murray continued his Hopman Cup form in Melbourne, notching a semifinal victory over Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open before bowing to Roger Federer in the final.
Robson partnered Australian Sally Peers in the doubles at the 2010 Australian Open where they reached the quarterfinal.
French Open champion Francesca Schiavone and Potito Starace will represent Italy and Alicia Molik will partner Lleyton Hewitt for Australia. Schiavone becomes the sixth Grand Slam champion to commit to the exhibition event, joining Serena, Hewitt, Henin, Djokovic, and Ana Ivanovic.
"I'm delighted to be coming back to Perth," Schiavone said. "This has been an amazing year for me, and I look forward to starting the New Year well with Potito."
Schiavone stunned the tennis world in May, with a brilliant run in Paris culminating in victory over Australia’s Sam Stosur, but not Hopman fans who had witnessed her performance during Hopman Cup XIV where she was undefeated in singles including victories over Monica Seles and Kim Clijsters.
The expressive Schiavone became a national heroine as the first Italian woman ever to win a Grand Slam title. The French Open champion entered the WTA Tour top 10 and is entrenched there with her recent quarterfinal appearance at the US Open. It will be her third appearance at the Hyundai Hopman Cup.
Molik returns to the Burswood Centre Court for the first time having moved to Western Australia after her retirement in 2008. She returned to the international tennis scene in 2009 after recovering from a series of injuries with a successful run through the Australian circuit, which got her back inside the top 200. Further success on the WTA Tour has seen her ranking rise inside the top 100 and she was a member of Australia’s Fed Cup team this year. Molik will partner Hewitt.
The eight teams are:
- USA - Serena Williams and John Isner
- Belgium – Justine Henin and Steve Darcis
- Serbia – Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic
- France – Kristina Mladenovic and Gael Monfils
- Kazakhstan – Yaroslava Shvedova and Andrey Golubev
- Italy – Francesca Schiavone and Potito Starace
- Australia – Alicia Molik and Lleyton Hewitt
- Great Britain – Laura Robson and Andy Murray