Past Results - Hopman Cup III (27th Dec 1990 - 4th Jan 1991)
Despite winning HCII in dramatic style, the Spanish brother-sister
combination of Emilio and Arantxa Sanchez couldn't snare the No.
1 seeding for their title defence once again the Americans earned
that ranking with rising star David Wheaton pairing with Wimbledon
finalist Zina Garrison.
The field for HCIII again had wide spread of stars — including
an emerging name in women's tennis, one Monica Seles, who had rocketed
up to No. 2 despite her tender 17 years and her still child-like
body topped with a smile that never went away.
The Yugoslavian teenager now based in America was a sensation around
the world, but her country lacked big-name male players and it was
left to Goran Prpic, ranked 56 and carrying a heavy knee brace that
covered much of his right leg, from high on the thigh to low on the
calf. The cumbersome cover certainly influenced him to run in straight
lines.
But little did we know about his courage and fighting qualities.
Once again Australia opened the centre-court proceedings and this
time the locals had a home-grown heroine to herald their country's
chances in Liz Smylie, a member of the well-known Sayers family in
Perth. But she was to be upstaged by a precocious 19-year-old British
girl, Sarah Loosemore, who upset the home crowd with a 6-4, 6-3 victory.
Pat Cash then blitzed Jeremy Bates one and one in a changed format
and the Aussies wrapped things up 6-4, 6-2 in the deciding mixed.
Czechoslovakia, ranked seventh with Petr Korda back, this time with
his girlfriend Regina Rajchrtova, disposed of Germany's Carl Uwe-Steeb
and Isabel Cueto, who won her opening singles as the first two rubbers
were split in three-setters before a comfortable mixed doubles went
to the Czechs.
France had yet another pairing for their third Hopman Cup, this
time the classical Guy Forget and the colourful Catherine Tanvier,
both veterans of the circuit and they were too experienced for Holland's
newcomers Michiel Schapers and Manon Bollegraf, winning the singles,
but dropping the mixed in the dead rubber pro-set.
The entertaining French had a lot of fans cheering them on, especially
with the claim by Tanvier that she would shave her head bald if they
made the final to match the appearance of Forget, who did exactly
that after he and his Swiss partner Jakob Hlasek had won the world
ATP doubles crown.
The Yugoslavs then beat Italy's Raffaelle Reggi and Paolo Cane in
straight singles rubbers even though Seles dropped the second set
in a memorable match.
France overcome the first-up loss by Tanvier to Arantxa Sanchez,
but Forget returned the favour against Emilio and then the French
pulled off a surprise doubles win. Switzerland's pairing of Hlasek
and Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere ended the Aussie challenge, dropping
just six games in total in the singles.
We saw some sign of the Seles future with a great 6-2, 6-1 win over
Russia's Natalia Zvereva and though Prpic lost in three tight sets
to Andrei Chesnokov, the Yugoslavs won the mixed in a tight two-setter.
The top seeds were last to appear and did it easily, with Garrison
beating Rajchtrova and Wheaton downing Korda in straight sets.
The stage was set for two intriguing semi-finals, with seeds 1 and
3 on one side and 6 and 8 on the other.
Yugoslavia made light of their No. 6 seeding to reach the final
first, downing France 2-1, with the singles split and the mixed going
to 6-4 in the third, highlighted by riveting exchanges between Seles
and Forget.
The Americans got their win easier, beating Switzerland 2-1, splitting
the singles with Garrison the winner, but Wheaton atoned for his
loss by being simply brilliant in a 7-5, 6-4 mixed result.
The final produced some magical tennis from the girl-of-tomorrow.
The teenage Seles blitzed the Wimbledon runner-up 6-1, 6-1 and then
Prpic needed to show his fighting qualities if he was to down Wheaton
after losing the first set.
It was a titanic conclusion, Prpic fought his heart out to stay
in the contest against the big-hitting American, who seemed as though
he had the ability to equal the match, but simply couldn't put his
tenacious rival away.
The match ended in dramatic fashion as Wheaton went to save match
point with a forehand drive down the line that was initially called
good, but quickly over-ruled as out by chair umpire Geoff Hall. The
sporting Wheaton accepted the call and ran to the net to congratulate
Prpic; the replay confirmed that Hall was correct and the unheralded
sixth seeded Yugoslavia were the Cup winners.
The mixed didn't matter and tennis fans had surely seen the arrival
of a new teenage star in the delightful Seles.
Results
Hopman Cup III (27 December 1990 - 4 January 1991)
Seeds:
1. USA : David Wheaton/Zina Garrison
2. Spain : Emilio Sanchez/Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
3. Switzerland : Jakob Hlasek/Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere
4. Soviet Union : Andrei Chesnokov/Natalia Zvereva
5. Australia : Pat Cash/Elizabeth Smylie
6. Yugoslavia : Goran Prpic/Monica Seles
7. Czechoslovakia : Petr Korda/Regina Rajchrtova
8. France : Guy Forget/Catherine Tanvier
Unseeded:
Netherlands: Michiel Schapers/Manon Bollegraf
Germany: Carl-Uwe Steeb/Isabel Cueto
Italy: Paolo Cane/Raffaella Reggi
Great Britain : Jeremy Bates/Sarah Loosemore
Final:
Yugoslavia d. USA 3-0:
Monica Seles defeated Zina Garrison 6-1 6-1;
Goran Prpic defeated David Wheaton 4-6 6-3 7-5;
Prpic/Seles defeated Wheaton/Garrison 8-3*.
(* Dead Rubbers - Pro Set)
Semi Finals:
Yugoslavia d. France 2-1:
Monica Seles defeated Catherine Tanvier 6-2 6-3;
Guy Forget defeated Goran Prpic 6-4 6-3;
Prpic/Seles defeated Forget/Tanvier 5-7 6-4 6-4.
USA d. Switzerland 2-1:
Zina Garrison defeated Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere 6-2 7-5;
Jakob Hlasek defeated David Wheaton 6-3 6-2;
Wheaton/Garrison defeated Hlasek/Maleeva-Fragniere 7-5 6-2.
Quarter Finals:
France d. Spain 2-1:
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario defeated Catherine Tanvier 6-4 6-3;
Guy Forget defeated Emilio Sanchez 6-4 6-2;
Forget/Tanvier defeated Sanchez/Sanchez Vicario 6-4 6-2.
Switzerland d. Australia 3-0:
Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere defeated Elizabeth Smylie 6-0 6-0;
Jakob Hlasek defeated Pat Cash 6-2 6-4;
Hlasek/Maleeva-Fragniere defeated Cash/Smylie 8-6*.
Yugoslavia d. Soviet Union 2-1:
Monica Seles defeated Natalia Zvereva 6-2 6-1;
Andrei Chesnokov defeated Goran Prpic 7-6 3-6 6-2;
Prpic/Seles defeated Chesnokov/Zvereva 7-5 6-4.
USA d. Czechoslovakia 2-1:
Zina Garrison defeated Regina Rajchrtova 6-4 6-4;
David Wheaton defeated Petr Korda 6-4 6-2;
Korda/Rajchrtova defeated Wheaton/Garrison 8-1*.
First Round:
USA - Bye
Spain - Bye
Switzerland - Bye
Soviet Union - Bye
Australia d. Great Britain 2-1:
Sarah Loosemore defeated Elizabeth Smylie 6-4 6-3;
Pat Cash defeated Jeremy Bates 6-1 6-1;
Cash/Smylie defeated Bates/Loosemore 6-4 6-2.
Czechoslovakia d. Germany 2-1:
Isabel Cueto defeated Regina Rajchrtova 2-6 6-2 6-4;
Petr Korda defeated Carl-Uwe Steeb 6-3 2-6 6-2;
Korda/Rajchrtova defeated Steeb/Cueto 6-1 6-3.
France d. Netherlands 2-1:
Catherine Tanvier defeated Manon Bollegraf 6-3 6-4;
Guy Forget defeated Michiel Schapers 6-4 6-4;
Schapers/Bollegraf defeated Forget/Tanvier 8-5*.
Yugoslavia d. Italy 3-0:
Monica Seles defeated Raffaella Reggi 6-2 6-7 6-4;
Goran Prpic defeated Paolo Cane 6-4 6-3;
Prpic/Seles defeated Cane/Reggi 8-3*.
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