Davis Cup Finals Force Djokovic to Skip Hopman Cup

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 5th October 2013

Davis Cup Finals Force Djokovic to Skip Hopman Cup

epa03895844 Novak Djokovic of Serbia in action against Sam Querrey of USA in the men's singles quarter finals at the China Open tennis tournament at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, China, 04 October 2013. EPA/ADRIAN BRADSHAW |

Davis Cup finals in November against the Czech Republic duties have forced Novak Djokovic to decline a return invitation to the Hopman Cup, the mixed team event in Perth which kicks off the 2014 tennis season. As a result, the event will also have to do without crowd darling Ana Ivanovic after she and Djokovic lost the final in January to Spain.

Australian media report that the eight-nation event is still filling holes in the lineup, but has signed Americans Sloane Stephens and John Isner, who had to quit the tournament last years with a knee injury which then forced him to skip the Australian Open. Isner will be playing the grand slam tune-up for the fourth time.

The remainder of the field will be announced on Tuesday, with Australia, Poland and France the only participants previously announced. But the coup of signing Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli backfired when the Frenchwoman retired from tennis suddenly in August, leaving Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and France without a partner – the search goes on.

Host Australia will field the Bernard Tomic and Samantha Stosur, with the home team starting the competition on December 28. Poland will feature Wimbledon semi-finalist Jerzy Janowicz and WTA ace Agnieszka Radwanska.

Topics: 10sballs.com, Agnieszka Radwanska, Ana Ivanovic, Atp, Australian Open, Bernard Tomic, Davis Cup, Hopman Cup, Jerzy Janowicz, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, John Isner, Novak Djokovic, Samantha Stosur, Sloane Stephens, Tennis, Tennis News, Wta