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IMAGE: Borna Coric and Donna Vekic rejoice with the trophy after Croatia’s victory over Switzerland within the Hopman Cup remaining in Good on Sunday. {Photograph}: Hopmancup/Twitter
Croatia’s Borna Coric battled previous Switzerland’s Leandro Riedi 6-1, 6-4 on Sunday to seal a 2-0 victory within the Hopman Cup remaining that earned his nation solely their second title within the mixed-gender crew competitors.
Coric’s victory adopted Donna Vekic’s snug 6-3, 6-4 win over Celine Naef and means Croatia grow to be the primary crew to elevate the trophy following the match’s return to the tennis calendar after a four-year absence.
Switzerland are among the many most profitable nations within the occasion – which started in 1989 and was named after Australian nice Harry Hopman – having received 4 titles together with the 2019 crown on the again of the now-retired Roger Federer’s heroics.
With out the seasoned Belinda Bencic resulting from withdrawal, the younger Swiss crew scored victories over Denmark and France to prime Group A this 12 months however ran out of steam in opposition to Croatia within the title conflict on the claycourts of Good.
World quantity 15 Coric raced by way of the opening set in 31 minutes and recovered from an early lack of serve within the subsequent to shut out the win and break Swiss hearts.
Earlier, Vekic exchanged breaks with Naef early within the first set of the opening match of the tie, earlier than the extra skilled world quantity 22 pounced on her Swiss opponent’s serve within the eighth recreation en path to wrapping up the set.
Vekic confirmed loads of persistence and ability within the second set to stave off a comeback try by Naef, who slipped and took a tumble late within the contest earlier than crashing to her third defeat in as many singles matches within the match.
Croatia beforehand received the title in 1996 once they beat the identical opponents within the remaining in Perth on a hardcourt, with Goran Ivanisevic and Iva Majoli the architects of that triumph.
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