Hyundai Hopman Cup finale Diary – by James A. Crabtree

Written by: Staff on 7th January 2012

Hyundai Hopman Cup finale Diary – by James A. Crabtree

Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic celebrates her win following the final session women''s singles match against Marion Bartoli of France in the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, 07 January 2012. The Czech Republic won the match 7-5, 6-1. EPA/TONY MCDONOUGH AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

Cash, Credit and Czechs

After twenty four years the Hyundai Hopman Cup experienced a fairy-tale ending in The Burswood Dome, witnessed by 8,365 fans with 72,776 for the week.

Most feel Petra Kvitova is not only on her way to the world number one ranking but also the Australian Open crown, especially after the way she dominated Marion Bartoli in the final women’s match here Saturday.

For the first time this week somebody got hold of the Bartoli serve and pushed the unyielding French women off the baseline. Adding to that was the reach of Kvitova and Marion Bartoli’s inability to push her out of court with the groundstrokes that have given others nightmares all week. As far as ability and talent these two stars were evenly matched, as far as belief Kvitova is currently unrivalled on tour. Even Tomas Berdych remarked that teammate Petra is just “a small step from number one”.

Now, a lot has been said of the Richard Gasquet backhand and more will be said for a long time to come. The shot is phenomenal and Pat Cash was overheard complimenting it on TV, at the bar, in the corridor, just about everywhere. Quite simply the consensus is don’t hit the ball to the Gasquet backhand, it is a beautiful beast.

At the other end of the court Tomas Berdych hit and hit and hit, side to side to side to side. Genetic tests have not, presumably, been performed on the towering Czech but I am convinced he is a cyborg or terminator constructed by SkyNet or Amcom and sent from the future. Indeed, if he did show up to my house one sunny afternoon asking for Sarah Connor I would not be surprised.

The first set was nip and tuck and only decided in a comprehensive tiebreak where Gasquet continuously faltered. The second was a more convincing affair until at 5-3 down in the second Gasquet gave us, and humanity hope, after trailing 0-40. Going for broke and playing the sort of game highlighted by absurd teeing off winners; backhand winner, forehand winner and ace that made us all believe we were about to see the real life Cinderella Man, Rocky, Rudy and Hoosiers rolled into one. Gasquet looked like he was back in the game and we all wanted to believe he was. That was until we remembered Berdych was back on serve, and we heard the classic Brad Fiedel ‘Terminator’ music in our hearts. The machine took command, and Gasquet was not to be John Connor on this night.

The soaring Czech served out with an ace and extinguished all French hope, culminating a great week of tennis for the highest ranked and highest seeded combo in the competition.

Gasquet knew instantly that the ace was pure and didn’t look to the computer technicians running Hawkeye. If he did he would have sort the expertise of Pete Irwin, a Loughborough University graduate who once studied Sports Technology. Pete informed me personally how Hawkeye works as I got that sinking feeling like I was back in math class and it was algebra week. He did tell me there are ten cameras; five each end all tracking the ball at different angles taking a 3-D perspective working at 50-60 frames per second. Spin, speed and trajectory are then calculated giving us all the result within two millimetres of perfection. Pete is another person with a dream job, as he covers the ATP and WTA year round sometimes watching tennis up to twelve hours a day. He considers The Hopman Cup his favourite event and believes McEnroe would argue with the technology if he were playing today. Pete begins each event by measuring the court with lasers; he also gets to have a hit on the famed courts. He considers his own game a work in progress with a good forehand but no serve.

Anyway, the ace Berdych served was good and uncontested, whereupon he smiled and I doubted his cyborg past. For their combined efforts both Petra and Tomas were covered in silver confetti and credited with not only a NAB winner’s cheque but their own Argyle Diamond pure silver tennis ball, hand crafted by Brinkhaus Jewellers, and showcased by some 200 diamonds. Bling Bling Bling.

Hasta la vista, baby, until 2013 at the Perth Stadium.

Or maybe Melbourne in a few days.