Hopman Cup: Federer-Bencic topples Williams-Tiafoe
PERTH, AUSTRALIA—Roger Federer was on the winning side in his historic mixed doubles match against fellow tennis great Serena Williams at the Hopman Cup Tuesday, but in the end, the result hardly mattered. Paired with Belinda Bencic, Federer beat Williams and Frances Tiafoe 4-2 4-3 (5-3) to give Switzerland a 2-1 win over the United States in their round robin match. More importantly, it was the first and probably last time that fans would get to see the two tennis players, widely regarded as the greatest of all time, battle it out across the net in a competitive match. —CNN
Brisbane Int’l: Strained left thigh forces Nadal pullout
BRISBANE—Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Brisbane International on the eve of his first scheduled competitive match of the season because of a strained left thigh. The second-ranked Nadal had a bye in the first round and arrived in Australia after withdrawing from an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi following one match. He played only nine tournaments during an injury-interrupted 2018 season, winning five titles. The 17-time major champion hasn’t played a competitive match since September but is confident he will be ready come the Australian Open on Jan. 14. —AP
ASB Classic: Wozniacki thru to second round
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND—Neither the wind nor a little bit of rust could stop top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki from winning her first match of 2019. The former top-ranked Dane beat lucky loser Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-2 Wednesday in the first round of the ASB Classic. Third-seeded Hsieh Su-Wei also beat Olympic champion Monica Puig 6-1, 7-6 (3). —AP