After mixed doubles moment, Serena and Federer finish 3-0 in singles

Chanda Rubin: How did Serena Williams look in Perth?

In ideal preparation for the first Grand Slam of the year, Serena Williams beat Katie Boulter in straight sets on Thursday to finish 3-0 in singles at the Hopman Cup.

Williams, who’d already notched wins over Greece’s Maria Sakkari and Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in her first two singles matches at the exhibition event in Perth, came out strong against Boulter, breaking at love in the second game of the match and eventually running away with a 24-minute opening set, 6-1.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion faced resistance from there. Boulter broke early in the second set to go up 2-0, and after getting broken right back, she pushed the second set to a tiebreak. But Williams cruised through that tiebreak to clinch the 54-minute second set and the match, 6-1, 7-6 (2).

HIGHLIGHTS: Serena Williams d. Katie Boulter at the Hopman Cup

Williams was asked in her on-court interview about the bright midday sun the players had to contend with.

“It was actually perfect because it’s just like that in Melbourne,” Serena said, looking ahead to the Australian Open. “It was the exact same sun, and it gives me so many problems. The problem with it is that after you serve, you’re blind for the next two balls. You’re just kind of hitting it blindly. But I think we both kind of handled it pretty well.”

Serena and her American teammate Frances Tiafoe went on to lose the mixed doubles match against Boulter and Cameron Norrie, though, as well as the tie. The Americans won’t qualify for the Hopman Cup final.

But Serena’s match play in Perth is undoubtedly encouraging ahead of next week's Australian Open. Even if she'll most likely be remembered for one particular doubles match.

“It was definitely good to play three matches here in singles, not to mention the mixed,” she added.

HIGHLIGHTS: Roger Federer d. Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Hopman Cup

The other star in that mixed doubles match, Roger Federer, also completed a 3-0 singles run at the Hopman Cup, and in doing so sent Switzerland into the final. Federer prevailed in his final singles match of the round-robin stage against rising Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4).

Tsitsipas had chances in the first set, building a 4-1 lead in the tiebreak, but Federer won six of the next seven points to take a one-set lead, and eventually clinched victory after an hour and 33 minutes.

Greece needed to beat Switzerland by a 3-0 scoreline to beat them to the final.

“That was always the goal, to get to the final, and on top of that I’m playing well,” Federer said after the match. “It was an exciting match against Stefanos today—it was my first time playing against him, and I learned about his game. I was impressed with what I saw from Stefanos, so that was good.”

Switzerland are the defending champions at the event.

**Hopman Cup (Sat - Sat 12.29 - 1.5)

•    Roger Federer, Alexander Zverev, Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber headline the Hopman Cup. Watch live coverage on Tennis Channel Plus beginning Saturday 12/29 at 9:00pm ET.**

**ATP/WTA Brisbane (Sun - Sun 12.30 - 1.6)

•    Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Naomi Osaka and Sloane Stephens open their 2019 seasons in Brisbane. Live coverage from three courts begins on Tennis Channel Plus on Sunday 12/30 at 8:00pm ET.**

**WTA Auckland (Sun - Sun 12.30 - 1.6)

•    Catch the action from the ASB Classic including Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki. Live coverage begins on Tennis Channel Plus on Sunday 12/30 at 8:00pm ET.**

**WTA Shenzhen (Sat - Sat 12.29 - 1.5)

•    Watch first to last ball action from the Shenzhen Open featuring Maria Sharapova and Jelena Ostapenko beginning Saturday 12/29 at 11:00pm ET.**

**ATP Pune (Mon - Sat 12.31 - 1.5)

•    Watch Kevin Anderson, Marin Cilic and Hyeon Chung live from Pune starting Monday 12/31 at 6:30am ET.**