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Switzerland wins Hopman Cup

January 6, 2018

Switzerland have collected their third Hopman Cup title as Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic defeated Germany's team of Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber. The title is Switzerland's first since 2002.

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Tennis Hopman-Cup 2018 Duo Belinda Bencic und Roger Federer
Image: Imago/Action Plus/D. Woodley

Teaming up for the second straight year, Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic defeated Germany's pair of Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber in a mixed doubles match in Perth on Saturday to hand Switzerland the Hopman Cup title.

"Playing with Roger again is a dream coming true," Bencic, 20, said afterwards. "You can't ask for a better partner, I'll never forget this week. It's been absolutely incredible for me."

Read more: Angelique Kerber inspires Germany in Hopman Cup

It was the third time Switzerland has won the eight-team event. The country's last victory in the Australian tournament came in 2002, when a 20-year-old Federer teamed up with Martina Hingis to lift the title.

"I was young, up and coming and didn't have any idea that my career would go so well," Federer, currently second in the men's world rankings, said. "Now I'm back winning the Cup again. I'm thrilled and happy."

Tennis | Hopman-Cup 2018 | Alexander Zverev 
Alexander Zverev, who defeated Roger Federer last year, fell to the Swiss superstar on SaturdayImage: picture-alliance/dpa/AAP/T. Mcdonough

Federer, who defeated Zverev in the ATP World Tour Finals in November, topped the budding German star again despite dropping the first set. However, Bencic, who had won all of her group stage singles matches earlier in the week, fell in straight sets to Kerber. The Swiss duo rebounded in the mixed doubles round, defeating Kerber and Zverev 4-3 (3), 4-2.

With the loss, Germany's drought in the Hopman Cup continued. They last won the tournament in 1995 with Boris Becker and Anke Huber. Germany's other title came two years prior to that through the pair of Steffi Graf and Michael Strich.

"Switzerland takes it all, like we've seen so many times in tennis. We want to win something as well," Zverev, ranked No. 4 in the men's rankings, said. "It would be very enjoyable form to come back and take this title away from the Swiss next year."

dv (AP, dpa, Reuters)