PERTH: Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic maintained the buoyant mood in Serbian tennis when they overpowered Australia 3-0 to move closer to a place in the final of the Hopman Cup mixed team event yesterday.
Playing what he described as some of his best tennis “for a year and half” world number three Djokovic brushed aside Lleyton Hewitt 6-2, 6-4 and Ivanovic eased to a 6-4, 6-0 win over Alicia Molik. They joined forces to win the mixed doubles 6-7 7-5, 10-6.
“I played great,” Djokovic, who little more than a month ago inspired Serbia to win the Davis Cup for the first time against France in Belgrade, told reporters. “From the start of the match, especially at the end of the first set, I played some of my best tennis in a year and a half.”
Serbia now need to win just one rubber to when they play Belgium, who whitewashed Kazakhstan 3-0 in the day’s other Group A match.
