U.S. Seeks Hopman Win

Justin Gimelstob and Chanda Rubin will try to get the United States its first victory in the Hopman Cup team tennis tournament which opens today, and it won’t be easy.

The Americans play the French team of Guy Forget and Mary Pierce tonight.

Gimelstob is due to arrive in Perth just 12 hours before the match after a flight that was hastily booked when Richie Reneberg withdrew to stay home with his wife, Margot, who was two weeks overdue with the couple’s first child.

Steffi Graf joined Reneberg as a late withdrawal. She is suffering from a virus, and has been replaced on the German team by Petra Begerow, who is paired with Bernd Karbacher.

The United States never has won the Hopman Cup although it was a finalist in 1990 and 1991.

The Croatian pair of Goran Ivanisevic and Iva Majoli, winners in bizarre circumstances 12 months ago, will open the defense of their title on opening day against Australians Mark Philippoussis and Nicole Bradtke.

Ivanisevic and Majoli won the title last year when Swiss player Marc Rosset broke his right hand when he punched a court side advertising sign and was forced to withdraw from the decisive mixed doubles.