SERENA TO PLAY HOPMAN CUP!!!!!

Hewitt, Serena Williams to play Hopman Cup
World number ones Lleyton Hewitt and Serena Williams will begin their preparations for next year's Australian Open at the Hopman Cup, tournament organisers announced on Tuesday.
SERENA: From kid sister to Grand Slam winner



Wimbledon champion Hewitt will partner Alicia Molik in the Australian team at the unique mixed teams event while Williams, winner of the past three women's grand slam titles, will join James Blake in the United States team.



"This is the first time both reigning number ones will be at the tournament. It's a coup," Hopman Cup chief executive Rick Williams said.



Eight countries will contest the next Hopman Cup, to be held in Perth from December 28 to January 4, with the U.S. seeded first ahead of Australia, Czech Republic, Belgium, Slovak Republic, Spain and Italy.



Paraguay and Uzbekistan will play off for the eighth and final spot in the event, now in its 15th year.



Hewitt, who is striving to become the first local player since Mark Edmonson in 1976 to win the Australian Open, also entered last year's Hopman Cup but had to pull out after being diagnosed with chicken pox.



"After what happened with chicken pox and everything last year, I felt bad for Alicia and the crowd. So I really wanted to come back and give it a shot with her again," Hewitt said.



The Australian Open is the only grand slam title to have eluded the powerful Williams sisters and Serena's decision to play in Perth, the first event on the Australasian circuit, shows her determination to end the family drought next year.





:bounce:

I'm taking this as a VERY positive sign that Serena is serious about winning the Australian and completing her Grand Slam collection. I think it's that D-E-T-E-R-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N that will win it for her. Go SERENA!!!

I think they have a great chance to win! Go Serena and Blake!

I have a theory that Serena's desire to play the Hopman Cup was the reason for her meteoric rise to No. 1 this year.

Paul MacNamee said that Serena contacted the HC organizers in February. They told her that if she wanted to play, she had to be the highest ranked American woman by the end of the year, or had to hope that the highest ranked American woman would turn down a place in the field.

Not wanting to risk being overlooked, Serena decided to become the best American woman. In the process, she also became the world No. 1. The top-ranked American women at the time was Jennifer Capriati, and none other than her sister, Venus.

The only way for Serena to guarantee herself an invite into the prestigious 8-team field was to usurp both women. That, in turn, meant being No. 1, as there was nowhere else to go but up.

:)

This is fabulous news! It makes it obvious that Serena is really pushing for the career grand slam by winning the 2003 Australian Open. Good luck to her.