Herald Sun News
December 21

TENNIS minnow Uzbekistan could hold a slight edge in next Saturday's Hopman Cup qualifying playoff against Paraguay at Perth's Burswood Dome.

Exciting youngster Iroda Tulyaganova will be favoured to account for veteran Paraguayan Rossana Neffa-de Los Rios, although the tie should be levelled with a Ramon Delgado win over Uzbekistan's Oleg Ogorodov. Tulyaganova and Ogorodov, with a combined total of four doubles titles, appear to hold the key in what shapes as a live mixed doubles rubber.

Regardless of which country advances to the main draw, it would be foolish to dismiss Uzbekistan's chances.

Tulyaganova, ranked No. 55 in the world, has been as high as 17 and was a finalist in Vienna this year, as well as reaching the quarter-finals at Eastbourne.

A Federation Cup representative at the age of 16, she has three singles titles to her credit.

Next Sunday, Australia's Lleyton Hewitt and Alicia Molik will start their title search with a tie against Italy.

Hewitt, whose Hopman Cup debut last year was sabotaged by chicken pox, shapes as the key to the host country's hopes.

At No. 94 in the world, Molik is the lowest-ranked woman in the event, leaving Hewitt the prospect of needing to win his singles rubbers to force a live mixed doubles.

Serena Williams, the women's world No. 1 and battling Hewitt for the tag of chief drawcard, will make her first appearance in Perth when the top-seeded US steps out against either Uzbekistan or Paraguay tomorrow week.

The teams:

GROUP A: US (Serena Williams-James Blake, 1 seed), Belgium (Kim Clijsters-Xavier Malisse, 4), Spain (Virginia Ruano Pascual-Tommy Robredo, 6), Paraguay (Rossana Neffa-de Los Rios-Ramon Delgado, 8) or Uzbekistan (Iroda Tulyaganova-Oleg Ogorodov, 8)

GROUP B: Australia (Alicia Molik-Lleyton Hewitt, 2), Czech Republic (Daja Bedanova-Jiri Novak, 3), Slovak Republic (Daniela Hantuchova-Dominik Hrbaty, 5), Italy (Silvia Farina-Elia-Davide Sanguinetti, 7).

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