Hewitt beaten but Aussies still in race

The winner of the best-of-three Group B clash will advance to Saturday’s final where they will meet either the U.S. Or Belgium.

The defeat was a first for Hewitt at this year’s mixed team event and was the first rubber Australia have conceded in the contest. World number seven Novak was simply too powerful and too determined for counter-puncher Hewitt. “This is one of the best victories of my life…I am so happy that I was able to do this here today,” he said.

Meanwhile Belgium’s Xavier Malisse shunted his flamboyant game back on track to lead Belgium past Uzbekistan. A semi-finalist at Wimbledon last year, Malisse has blown hot and cold since but at the Burswood Dome he was able to put a shaky start and a mystery illness behind him to beat Oleg Ogorodov 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 and clinch the win for the fourth-seeded Belgians.

Earlier Kim Clijsters notched up her first win of the new year, steamrolling Uzbek Iroda Tulyaganova to nudge Belgium into the lead. Clijsters and Malisse also won the mixed 6-1, 6-1.

World No.4 Clijsters defeated the 55th-ranked Tulyaganova 6-3, 6-2 in her singles match. (Reuters)