PERTH, January 4: US Open champion Patrick Rafter and teenaged partner Annabel Ellwood got Australia off to a roaring start at the $585,000 Hopman Cup team event today as both scored opening-day victories over Swedes.Rafter, second in the world, powered back after a brief lapse in the second set to defeat Thomas Enqvist 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 in one hour, 34 minutes.
Rafter's win gave the hosts -- who have never won the title in nine previous editions -- a clean sweep after Ellwood surprised Asa Carlsson in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 to begin the tie.
The 2-0 scoreline assured Australia of the round-robin win at the eight-nation tournament, which ends on Saturday. In the meaningless mixed doubles, the Aussies again prevailed 6-2, 6-4 for a 3-0 scoreline.
Ellwood, the lowest ranked woman in the eight-nation field at 93, shrugged off a 0-3 first-set deficit to turn the table on Carlsson and earn the first victory of the tournament's tenth edition.
The 19-year-old Australian's comeback kept a crowd of 8,000 at the
Burswood Dome thrilled as they waited for Rafter's first appearance on a home court since April.
Ellwood held a match point in the ninth game of the second set, but the world number 45 Swede saved it to hold for 4-5. Ellwood served out the victory a game later, taking the win from Carlsson's return long.
"My heart was pounding at the start, but it calmed down," said the winner, whose career-best ranking so far is 57th. "This has to be one of my best wins. It feels good to get it. It was a great atmosphere -- and at least I knew that the crowd was on my side."
Rafter shrugged off the pressure which is sure to follow him in the run-up to the January 19 start of the Australian Open in Melbourne, overcoming world number 28 Enqvist with a solid display of serve-and-volley attack. Rafter overcame a 0-2 deficit in the final set and took the win as Enqvist returned a backhand long.
Rafter called the sellout crowd "pretty good", while adding: "Someone yelled that I should change to my red shirt (in which he
won the first set) but I had a lot of faith in my black shirt (which he wore at the end)."
The Aussie, who will headline at next week's Adidas International in Sydney, is not letting the fevered build-up to the first Grand Slam of the year worry him.
The victory gave Rafter a 3-1 career mark against Enqvist and was the second for Australia against the Swedes here.
Monday's day two ties features top seed Spain (Carlos Moya and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario) against Slovakia and while third-seeded South Africa (Wayne Ferreira and Amada Coetzer) take on Americans Jonathan Stark and Chanda Rubin.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
