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Russia advances to Hopman Cup final
Nadia Petrova and Dmitry Tursunov won their singles matches then combined in mixed doubles to give Russia a 3-0 win.
Nadia Petrova and Dmitry Tursunov won their singles matches then combined in mixed doubles to give Russia a 3-0 win on Thursday over France and a spot in the Hopman Cup team tennis final.
Petrova beat Tatiana Golovin of France 7-6 (2), 6-0 and California-based Tursunov defeated Jerome Haehnel 6-1, 6-4 in the singles.
Petrova and Tursunov then combined to beat Golovin and Haehnel 6-4, 6-2 to complete the whitewash and finish the round-robin at 2-1. France also finished at 2-1 but did not qualify for the final due to its loss to Russia.
Russia will play the winner of Group B in Friday's final at the Burswood Dome - either India or Spain, who played later Thursday. The Czech Republic and Croatia also met later.
In another Group A match Thursday, Australia beat the United States 2-1 after Alicia Molik and Nathan Healey won the deciding mixed doubles over Ashley Harkleroad and Mardy Fish 6-4, 7-5. The Americans finished 0-3.
Molik beat Harkleroad, a late replacement for the injured Venus Williams, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to give Australia a 1-0 lead before Fish evened the match with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Healey.
