Germany improves to 2-0 at Hopman Cup with win over Canada
PERTH, Australia (AP) - Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber gave Germany its second consecutive win at the Hopman Cup mixed teams tennis tournament with singles victories Wednesday over Canadians Vasek Pospisil and Eugenie Bouchard.
No. 4-ranked Zverev beat Pospisil 6-4, 6-2 and Kerber, the 2016 Australian Open and U.S. Open champion, defeated Bouchard 6-1, 6-3. Germany also won the Fast4 mixed doubles 4-3, 4-3.
Germany can qualify from Group A for Saturday's final with a win over Australia on Friday in the last round-robin match.
Later Wednesday, Belgium defeated Australia and made it more difficult for the host country to qualify for the final. Elise Mertens beat Daria Gavrilova 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 before David Goffin clinched it for Belgium with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Australia and Belgium are 1-1.
Bouchard, a former Wimbledon finalist and top-five player now ranked 83rd after a concussion and form slump, said the 10 a.m. start time was too early for her. She also lost to Gavrilova in straight sets in her opening match, also a mid-morning start.
"It was a bit of the same pattern as the first match," Bouchard said. "I think I need to wake up ... it's because we're playing too early. I felt like I made a few too many errors here and there."
On Thursday, Roger Federer-led Switzerland will play the United States in Group B, with the winner advancing to the final.