FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 2019 16 Federer guides Swiss into final Roger Federer beat Stefanos Tsitsipas to give defending champion Switzerland a spot in Hopman Cup final

Serena Williams sweeps• singles ahead of Grand Slam record 23 bid at Australian Open grand slam titles have been won by Serena Williams and needs AFP | Perth, Australia one more major title to equal Maragert Court’s haul oger Federer ensured Switzerland would have Rthe chance to defend The winner of 23 Grand Slam their Hopman Cup title with a singles titles, Williams was made straight-sets win over Greece’s to work a little harder than Stefanos Tsitsipas at the mixed expected by young Brit Katie teams tournament in Perth yes- Boulter in the United States’ fi- terday. nal group tie, but prevailed in The 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4) win by straight sets to make it three the 20-time Grand Slam cham- victories from as many outings pion in his men’s singles match as she prepares for the upcom- gave the Swiss a 1-0 lead in their ing Australian Open. Group B encounter, but also Brits Boulter and Cameron meant they were guaranteed a Norrie won the tie 2-1 after spot in Saturday’s final despite clinching the deciding mixed eventually losing the tie. doubles, but dual Hopman In the women’s singles, Maria winners Williams and Frances Sakkari levelled the tie with a Tiafoe had lost their opening 6-3, 6-4 win over Belinda Bencic, two ties and were already out of before the Greeks won deciding contention. mixed doubles in three sets. Switzerland’s Roger Federer plays a shot during his match against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece Williams’ 6-1, 7-6 (7/2) win Bencic and Federer beat the over the 97th-ranked Boulter German pairing of Angelique The 37-year-old Federer kept a set point by a double fault rubber. he said. followed wins over Bencic and Kerber and Alexander Zverev in his unbeaten record this week for Tsitsipas, which the Swiss Federer, who won his first Sakkari earlier in the week. last year’s decider, and there is intact against the 15th-ranked champion converted with an Hopman title back in 2001 with Clean sweep for Serena Currently ranked 16th, Wil- a strong likelihood it will be the Tsitsipas, but there was little ace. Martina Hingis, was delighted Earlier in the day, Serena Wil- liams needs just one more Grand exact same pairing on Saturday, between the pair in both sets. A delightful drop shot set up to be able to guide the Swiss into liams declined to speak to the Slam singles title to equal the which would be a first for the Federer found himself down three match points in the second another final. media after completing a clean record of Australian Margaret tournament in what is expected 4-1 in the first set tie-break, but tie-break, and Federer took the “I’m very happy, the goal sweep of her Hopman singles Court, but hasn’t won since the to be its last year. fought back and was handed second of those to close out the was always to get to the finals,” matches. Australian Open in 2017.

Unheralded Canadian teen Guptill, Neesham show six appeal as knocks out Wozniacki New Zealand beat AFP | Auckland, New Zealand really excited just being here. “I’ve dreamt of playing on AFP | Tauranga, New Zealand op seed Caroline Wozni- this stage against hard play- Tacki was bundled out of ers and now I’m here I played immy Neesham made a the WTA Auckland Classic against one of the best and I Jdream return to internation- in the second round yester- won so really, I don’t know al yesterday, crushing Sri day, beaten in straight sets by what to say. Lanka with bat and ball as New 18-year-old Canadian Bianca “I managed to pull through. Zealand won the opening one- Andreescu. I’ve no idea how. I just fought day international by 45 runs in It was a blow for Wozniacki to the end.” Tauranga. who was looking for as much On a day dominated by teen- Neesham, recalled after 18 court time as she could get in agers, 17-year-old American months in the wilderness Auckland on her way to de- Amanda Anisimova stunned as New Zealand look to trial fending her Australian Open fifth seed Barbora Strycova all-rounder options before the crown. 6-3, 6-3. World Cup, flayed the Sri Lan- She was beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Anisimova, ranked 96th in kan bowling with an unbeaten the Canadian teenager who is the world and the youngest 47 off just 13 deliveries. ranked 152nd in the world and player in the top 100, never He then took three for 38 to had to play her way through dropped a game against the share the spotlight with man-of- the qualifying tournament to Czech veteran and cashed in the-match Martin Guptill who make the main draw. on all three break points that set the New Zealand innings “Honestly, I can’t believe it,” went her way. alight with 138 off 139 deliveries. said Andreescu who was near Anisimova will play big-serv- speechless at having beaten ing Viktoria Kuzmova from New Zealand Wozniacki to set up a quar- Slovakia in the quarter-finals M. Guptill c Sandakan b Perera 138 ter-final against Venus Wil- after Kuzmova fired down 20 C. Munro c Sandakan b Malinga 13 liams who progressed to the aces when dispatching Amer- K. Williamson b Pradeep 76 Martin Guptill of the New Zealand plays a shot final eight with a 6-4, 6-3 win ican Sofia Kenin 7-5, 5-7, 6-3. R. Taylor c Prasanna b Perera 54 over fellow American Lauren In the other quarter-finals, H. Nicholls run out (Perera) 15 On a placid favouring second spell to dismiss Dinesh Davis. second seed Julia Goerges T. Seifert c Perera b Malinga 11 the batsman and on a ground Chandimal for 10, before more “First I have to swallow this plays Eugenie Bouchard and J. Neesham 47 with short boundaries, Kusal success for spinner Sodhi who one and then I’ll think about third seed Hsieh Su-wei is up M. Henry c Perera b Pradeep 6 Perera also reached three fig- had caught in tomorrow. But I’m honestly against Sara Sorribes Tormo. I. Sodhi not out 0 ures with 102 for Sri Lanka the deep for 11. Extras: (lb 2, wd 5, nb 4) 11 KNOW WHAT Total: (for 7 , 50 overs) 371 while add- Trent Boult eventually dis- Sri Lanka ed 76. missed the stubborn Perera as N. Dickwella b Neesham 76 But in reply to New Zealand’s Sri Lanka’s last five wickets fell D. Gunathilaka c Seifert b Neesham 43 371 for seven, Sri Lanka were James Neesham was re- for 53 runs. K. Perera c Siefert b Boult 102 all out for 326 with six balls re- called after 18 months New Zealand had elected to K. Mendis c Seifert b Sodhi 18 maining. as New Zealand look to bat first and after the early loss D. Chandimal c Taylor b Neesham 10 Free-scoring Sri Lankan trial all-rounder options of Colin Munro, Guptill and D. Gunaratne c Ferguson b Sodhi 11 openers Dickwella and Danush- before the World Cup Kane Williamson put on 163 for T. Perera c Munro b Ferguson 4 ka Gunathilaka had been on the second wicket. S. Prasanna c Seifert b Ferguson 16 track to chase down the target Guptill cracked five sixes and L. Malinga b Henry 11 when they reached 119 off 17 four deliveries. 11 fours to celebrate his return L. Sandakan b Boult 6 overs. and Perera to the New Zealand side with N. Pradeep not out 6 But when Neesham came into smacked 52 off 50 deliveries un- his 14th ODI century in his 160th Extras: (b 1, lb 10, wd 11, nb 1) 23 the attack he had Gunathilaka til an Ish Sodhi googly removed match, becoming the ninth-fast- Total: (all out; 49 overs) 326 caught behind for 43 and Dick- Mendis for 18. est player to pass 6,000 runs in Bianca Andreescu of Canada plays a forehand during her round of 16 match Result: New Zealand won by 45 runs wella bowled in the space of Neesham returned for his the format. against Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark