Russian siblings beat Italy in Hopman Cup
Feisty Safin says black eyes were from brawling
Former champions Russia got off to a solid start in the Hopman Cup yesterday, beating Italy 2-1 in the mixed team event with straight-sets singles wins.
The brother and sister pairing of Marat Safin and Dinara Safina got the better of Simone Bolelli and Flavia Pennetta in the Group B singles matches before losing out in the doubles.
Sporting two black eyes picked up in a fight in Moscow, Safin used his big serve to overcome a stuttering Bolelli 7-6 6-4, while world number three Safina won six successive games in the second set to beat Pennetta 7-5 6-3.
With the tie already decided, Italy salvaged some pride by coming back from a set down to clinch the doubles match 7-5 4-6 6-7 after a final set tiebreak.
The Russians on Wednesday face Taiwanese pair Hsieh Su-Wei and Lu Yen-Hsun, who lost 3-0 in their opening group encounter with France's Alize Cornet and Gilles Simon.
Group A matches start today, when hosts Australia take on Germany and five-times winners the United States meet Slovakia.
Meanwhile, a battered-looking Safin yesterday admitted involvement in a brawl in Moscow last week, but wasted no time declaring he had won the fight.
The fiery Russian stunned fans when he turned up late at the mixed team Hopman Cup sporting two black eyes.
"I won the fight, I'm good, I'm ok," the former world number one told reporters.
"I got in trouble in Moscow but it's ok, I can survive."
"It's just a small problem. I wasn't in the right place at the right time," he added, without elaborating.
A bruised and battered Safin saw a doctor when he arrived in Perth and asked organisers to reschedule his match.
"I wasn't sure why he was arriving so late, why he was requesting to play a day later, but now I know why," tournament director Paul McNamee said, according to the Australian Associated Press.