Gambill secures U.S. Hopman win

The top-seeded U.S. kicked off their Hopman Cup challenge with an emphatic victory on Monday whitewashing a strong French team 3-0 at the Burswood Dome. Monica Seles nosed her country in front with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Virginie Razzano before Jan-Michael Gambill sealed victory in the mixed team event with a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4 triumph over battling Frenchman Arnaud Clement.

The U.S. pair then teamed up to win the mixed doubles 6-1, 6-4.

Gambill produced the performance of the day to beat Australian Open runner-up Clement who, at 17th in the world, is ranked four places above the American.

Despite the rankings it was Gambill who edged the closely-fought contest with some adventurous hitting from the back of the court and deft volleying.

"He's a scrapper...he's always played like that," Gambill smiled after the intense Group A clash.

"I got a little tentative towards the end but it was a great match to play. I think I have a chance to beat anybody when I am playing well...its great to start with a win."

A break for the American in the seventh game of the match proved decisive in the first set as Gambill three games later served out the set 6-4 with two thumping aces.

The flamboyantly-dressed Clement used the changeover to change his bandana, yellow glasses and yellow shirt to a bright red outfit with matching red sunglasses.

But there was no change of fortunes for the Frenchman as Gambill continued where he had left off finding superb depth with his unorthodox double-handed forehand and backhand.

PASSING SHOT

The American got the breakthrough in the third game when Clement misjudged and left a passing shot which drifted inside the line and then dumped a forehand into the net to lose serve.

Another break two games later left Gambill 4-1 ahead and firmly in control. He relaxed his grip, though, and handed Clement a break as the Frenchman clawed his way back from 5-1 down to 5-4 down. But Gambill refused to be beaten and finally served out 6-4.

"I served really well...I'm pleased about that and looking forward to getting some more matches under my belt," he said.

"I liked the way I played the match today."

Seles needed six games to warm up at the Western Australian venue but once she got into her stride never gave Razzano at 18-years-old, 10 years her junior -- a chance.

"I knew that would be tough, and it was," she said afterwards.

"She was a number one ranked junior in the world and has the potential to be a top player so I knew it would be hard."

Razzano's game plan was to keep Seles on the move and prevent her from working her way into rallies, and initially it worked as the French number five broke her twice early in the set.

SIMPLE FOREHAND

But Razzano was unable to hold her own serve as Seles repeatedly stepped into the return and thumped winners into the corners.

Seles finally got her swinging left hand serve working in the seventh game and held comfortably for a 4-3 lead before breaking again and then serving out for the opening set, clinching it with an ace after 29 minutes.

The American world number 10 broke her opponent immediately in the second set and never looked back.

Seles, winner of Hopman Cup III when she represented her country of birth Yugoslavia with Goran Prpic, sealed victory in 62 minutes.