PERTH, JAN 8: Cedric Pioline sent the United States out of contention in the Hopman Cup teams tennis competition today as France remained unbeaten.Pioline backed up a win by team-mate Mary Pierce to give France an unbeatable 2-0 lead.France will meet South Africa (2-0) tomorrow with the winner assured a place in the final. Australia and Slovakia will meet to decide the other finalist.Pioline was never extended in accounting for Jonathan Stark 6-4, 6-3. Pierce opened the event with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Chanda Rubin.Pioline made the crucial break when Stark served at 4-5 in the first set and then gained an advantage early in the second.He said he enjoyed the stadium's rebound ace surface and felt confident his country, the only one other than Australia to contest all 10 Hopman Cups, could reach their maiden final.``It's a good surface, not unlike the hard courts that we play on and I like it,'' Pioline said. Hopefully this is our year and my year and Mary's year, also.'' Pierce, the 1995 Australian Open champion and world No 7, took just 22 minutes to wrap up the first set.Rubin had to survive a break point in the eighth game before holding serve for the first time.The 21-year-old's mistake-riddled performance she made 32 unforced errors, mostly off her forehand was in stark contrast to her crisp display in a 6-4, 6-3 against Amanda Coetzer on Monday.``I've never seen Chanda make so many mistakes,'' Pierce said.``It felt good, but it was a lot easier than I expected and in a way, I think she sort of gave me the game.''
