Agence France Presse
December 28

Oleg Ogorodov and Iroda Tulyaganova combined on Saturday to beat the Paraguayan pair of Rossana Neffa-de Los Rios and Ramon Delgado 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) and put Uzbekistan into the main draw of the Hopman Cup tennis competition.

Neffa-de Los Rios gave Paraguay a 1-0 lead in the match when she beat Tulyaganova 6-4, 6-2 in the opening women's singles, but Ogorodov leveled for Uzbekistan when he beat Delgado 7-5, 6-3.

The win places Uzbekistan in Group A with the top-seeded United States, Belgium and Spain.

Ogorodov and Tulyaganova will play the American pair of Serena Williams and James Blake in their opening match Monday. On Sunday, second-seeded Australia takes on Italy and the Czech Republic plays Slovakia in the first two main round matches.

The final between the winner of Group A and Group B, in which Australia, represented by Lleyton Hewitt and Alicia Molik, is favoured, is scheduled for January 4.

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