Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
Roger Federer geared up for his Australian Open title defence in convincing fashion, guiding Switzerland to a 2-1 triumph over Germany on Saturday for their fourth Hopman Cup crown.
Federer and Belinda Bencic beat Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber 4-0, 1-4, 4-3(4) in the deciding mixed doubles rubber to secure the trophy at the Perth Arena in a repeat of last year's title clash.
The world number three earlier stamped his authority as a firm favourite for the season's first major, firing 24 winners and nine aces in a flawless 6-4, 6-2 win over ATP Finals champion Zverev.
Kerber too maintained her 100 percent singles record with a 6-4, 7-6(6) victory over Bencic to level the tie at 1-1, but the Germans failed to make the most of their opportunities as they went down in the tight mixed doubles rubber.
"I'm happy I'm feeling this good and playing as well as I am," said Federer, who has won the last two Australian Open titles after taking part in the mixed-team event.
Federer has beaten Frances Tiafoe, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Cameron Norrie and Zverev in straight sets and will be full of confidence heading into Melbourne Park later this month.
"It's good to finish on a singles performance like this. I'm a bit surprised the matches have gone as well as they have," the 37-year-old added.
It was Federer's third title success in the Hopman Cup following victory in 2001 alongside then world number one Martina Hingis and last year's success with Bencic.
Switzerland's first win in the competition was secured by Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere and Jakob Hlasek in 1992.
Tsurenko stuns Osaka in Brisbane to book Pliskova final
Japan's Naomi Osaka lamented her poor attitude following a straight sets thrashing by Lesia Tsurenko in the Brisbane International semi-finals on Saturday but the U.S. Open winner said defeat came with a valuable lesson.
World number five Osaka was beaten 6-2, 6-4 in 65 minutes by Latvia's Tsurenko, who comfortably broke her opponent's serve four times en route to the biggest final of her career.
Tsurenko faces 2017 champion and former world number one Karolina Pliskova, who thumped Donna Vekic 6-3, 6-4.
"If I'm being really frank, I just feel like I had the worst attitude today. I feel like I didn't really know how to cope with not playing well," Osaka said.
"I was sulking a bit and there are moments that I tried not to do that. But then the ball wouldn't go in and then I would go back to being childish. So I think that was my main problem.
"Last year I did a lot of that and I'm trying to change it more, and I think I have, towards the end of last year. So hopefully this isn't a recurring thing."
Osaka, who withdrew from next week's Sydney International, said Saturday's experience was better than winning in Brisbane as she gears up for the Australian Open later this month.
"This helpless feeling I have, I think today I learned what I have to do to, not fix it, but what I can do to improve the situation so there aren't many moments that I feel like that," the Japanese added.
Osaka's compatriot Kei Nishikori closed in on his first ATP title in nearly three years, beating Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-2, 6-2 to move into the title clash.
"Nothing better than this today," Nishikori, who last won a trophy in Memphis in Feb. 2016, said. "I felt like I was too fast on the court today... Tomorrow I will go for a trophy."
Standing in his way is Russia's Daniil Medvedev who powered past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6(6), 6-2.
