• Hopman Cup

Djokovic and Ivanovic beaten in Hopman Cup final

Anabel Medina Garrigues celebrates victory © Getty Images

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• Profile: Ana Ivanovic | Novak Djokovic | Anabel Medina Garrigues | Fernando Verdasco

Spain came from behind to lift the Hopman Cup, with Fernando Verdasco and Anabel Medina Garrigues toppling Serbian pair Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic in the doubles to win 2-1.

World No. 1 Djokovic overcame Verdasco to give Serbia the lead, but Medina Garrigues beat Ivanovic to force the doubles rubber and they proved too strong.

Djokovic was given a stiff workout before seeing off Verdasco 6-3 7-5. Verdasco had a tough time in 2012, but this campaign has begun brightly as he fought valiantly.

After breaking in the fourth game, Djokovic dominated the baseline exchanges to take the opening set. However, Verdasco held a long opening service game at the start of the second set and drew confidence from it by breaking his opponent.

Winners flew from the Verdasco racket as he opened up a 3-0 lead, but Djokovic recovered to break back. Service holds were traded, but Verdasco came under pressure in the 11th game - surrendering his serve - and one game later Djokovic served out to close out the match.

Spain forced a decisive doubles rubber as Medina Garrigues claimed a three-set win over Ivanovic. Ivanovic looked like she would go on and win the match when taking the second set in a tiebreak, but Medina Garrigues proved the more consistent as she claimed a 6-4 6-7(3) 6-2 success.

Medina Garrigues favours a patient game, but she changed things up and hit with purpose against Ivanovic. Both players found the stamina-sapping conditions tough but it was the Spaniard who adapted the better to prevail after two hours and thirty-eight minutes.

The Spanish carried the momentum into the doubles, Medina Garrigues and Verdasco securing the title with a 6-4 7-5 win. A scrappy first set went Spain's way, with the second a far more even affair. The only break for the set came in the 11th game when the Spaniards broke Ivanovic's serve and Medina Garrigues served out the match to hand Spain the title.

In the final of the Qatar Open in Doha, Nikolay Davydenko was beaten 3-6 7-6(4) 6-3 by Richard Gasquet. The Frenchman was a deserving winner, creating 13 break chances in the contest en route to his eighth career title.

And the Chennai Open final will be contested by Roberto Bautista Agut and Janko Tipsarevic, who beat Benoit Paire and Aljaz Bedene respectively.

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