• Australian Open build-up

Murray and Robson through to Hopman Cup final

ESPN staff
January 8, 2010
Andy Murray and Laura Robson are unbeaten in their doubles matches © Getty Images
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Andy Murray was quick to praise his partner Laura Robson after the pair won the decisive doubles match to put Britain through to the Hopman Cup final for the first time.

Earlier in the day Robson fell to world No.5 Elena Dementieva in straight sets 6-4 6-0. The 15-year-old put up a good fight to take the first set to 4-4, but Dementieva dominated the second set. However, Murray was in equally dominant form, losing just a single game as he saw off Igor Andreev 6-1 6-0.

In the decisive doubles match, Murray and Robson won a final-set tie-break to win the match 6-4 6-7(8/6) 7-6(10/6). It is the first tournament that Murray and his new partner have played together, but the pair have already established a strong partnership having won all their doubles matches in the tournament, and the world No.4 was quick to praise his partner.

"I have to say thanks to Laura because she played great," he said. "She was awesome today and did a great job. In the mixed, the guy is supposed to try to dominate and help the girl but every time I tried that we lost the point, so I left it to her after that."

The pair will face Spain, who advanced to their fifth final in ominous fashion, seeing off the Australian pairing of Lleyton Hewitt and Samantha Stosur 3-0. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Tommy Robredo have yet to lose a rubber, having beaten USA and Romania in their opening two ties.

They will be the favourites to win the Hopman Cup for a second time after Robredo won the competition with Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 2002, but Murray and Robson are confident they can provide an upset. And with Murray in such good form, he is optimistic about his chances at the Australian Open in two weeks.

"If I play like that, then I can win Australia for sure," said Murray after his singles victory over Andreev. "I didn't feel like I was making any bad decisions. I didn't feel like I was overplaying and it was just lucky shots that were coming off. But I need to make sure I do it in a couple of weeks and play like that from the start of the tournament to the end."

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