ITF

12 I ITF CIRCUITS AND PROFESSIONAL TENNIS EVENTS • HOPMAN CUP In total, 95,742 people were welcomed through the doors throughout the week, for the second largest attendance in history. For a second year, every session of the event was broadcast live on Channel 7's digital channel 7mate (and on Channel 7 for the opening two hours of day one). Play was broadcast to more than 170 countries by over 20 different broadcast partners. The offi cial Hopman Cup social media platforms all grew in 2015, with Twitter and Facebook engagement increasing by 25 and 40 per cent respectively. Also, the tournament's YouTube channel generated hundreds of thousands of views, with the clip of Williams ordering an espresso going viral. A number of fun tennis activities were set up during the event, with serve speed, hit the target, mini tennis and other games on site for fans to enjoy. The Hopman Cup Kids Tennis Day presented by Nickelodeon also took place on Sunday 4 January, with much-loved cartoon characters on hand to meet kids and their families. In 2015, the event was supported by major sponsor Tourism Western Australia, along with platinum sponsors City of Perth, Crown Perth and NAB. It was Poland who hoisted the Hopman Cup trophy for the fi rst time in its history, when Agnieszka Radwanska and Jerzy Janowicz defeated Serena Williams and John Isner 2-1 in an exhilarating fi nal in Perth. The Perth Arena once again hosted seven days of entertaining, world-class tennis to start the season, with the Hopman Cup, the ITF's mixed team event, being staged at the 15,500-seater venue. The world No.1 Williams and No. 3 Andy Murray were present, adding signifi cant glamour and media attention. In the round-robin stage, the Poles competed with home favourites Australia, France and Great Britain in Pool B. They got their campaign off to a fi ne start by silencing the home crowd in a 3-0 win over the Aussies, while Murray and Heather Watson edged out Benoit Paire and Alize Cornet 10-8 in the champion's tiebreak in the deciding doubles contest to give Great Britain their opening victory. The two Pool B winners then met, with Poland taking the match 2-1 over Great Britain, while Australia suffered another defeat to France. On the penultimate day of the competition, Janowicz and Radwanska lost 2-1 to France, but had done enough to advance to the fi nal. Great Britain ended on a high by comprehensively brushing aside the home team 3-0, leaving Murray with three singles wins without dropping a set. Over in Pool A, Williams and Isner swept past Italy 3-0 in their opener, after Williams had needed an on-court coffee to beat Flavia Pennetta in three sets. But the Americans were upset by Canada's Eugenie Bouchard and Vasek Pospisil in their second match, yet managed to achieve a required 3-0 triumph over Czech Republic to earn a fi nal berth. Given the world No.1's 8-0 record over Radwanska, the USA were certainly huge favourites for the fi nal. However, the 2012 Wimbledon fi nalist secured her fi rst ever victory over Williams, winning 64 67(3) 61. Isner levelled the contest though, as he claimed a lengthy opening-set tiebreak 12-10 over Janowicz and then took the second stanza 6-4. So the title-decider culminated in the mixed doubles, which a jubilant Poland captured in straight sets to lift the trophy, becoming the 13th nation to win the event. Hopman Cup 95,742 PEOPLE WERE WELCOMED THROUGH THE DOORS INTERNATIONAL TENNIS FEDERATION • ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2015

• Cover