France’s Richard Gasquet and Kristina Mladenovic have recovered after losing the first rubber to beat Germany 2-1 at the Hopman Cup in Perth.
The French clinched victory over Germany by winning the hybrid FAST4 mixed format, winning it 4-2 4-1 over Andrea Petkovic and teenager Alexander Zverev.
Petkovic, who suffered a 2013 knee injury in Perth which forced her out of the event, started the day with a German win as she beat Mladenovic 6-2 6-1, with the Frenchwoman committing nearly 20 unforced errors.
“I was in full focus for today. I’m very satisfied with how I played,” Petkovic said after her singles success. “I had a few hiccups, I could have gone for a little more on my serve and played more aggressively at times.
“But overall, it was a solid performance. I’m happy with the first match of new season – there is a lot to look forward to.”
Gasquet evened the tie for the French as he defeated fast-rising Zverev 7-5 6-3 to bring on the mixed doubles decider.
“I trained well at the end of 2016; I know that I’m ready for the season. And I like to play in Australia,” Gasquet said.