British newcomers Cameron Norrie and Katie Boulter earned a well-deserved 2-1 victory over the U.S. pair of Serena Williams and Frances Tiafoe at the mixed team Hopman Cup, on Thursday.
Though Williams won her singles match against Boulter, Norrie defeated Tiafoe 7-6 (7-4) 6-0.
In the mixed doubles finale, Britain came from a set down to win 3-4 (2-5) 4-3 (5-4) 4-1.
The British pair were jubilant to defeat a team that included one of the sport’s greatest players ever.
“She (Williams) is a champion. So, to actually share the court with her is such a privilege and of course we’re really happy to get the win,” said the 22-year-old Boulter, who only broke into the top 100 last year.
Twenty-three-year-old Norrie, ranked 90 in the world, was equally happy with his win.
Tiafoe was ranked more than 50 places above him and his game appeared to crumble in the second set of their singles match.
“It was tough today,” Norrie said. “Frances … played very aggressive from the start. He was serving well …
“(We had) a very tough tie-break and then I was able to free up a little bit in the second set and I was really happy and (will be) taking some confidence from this heading into next week.”
In the second match of the day, Williams beat Boulter 6-1 7-6 (7-2), taking the first set easily though the Brit put up more of a fight in the second.
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Williams has won all of her singles matches at the tournament, though not as comfortably as she may have hoped.
She said she was pleased to have had the match practice ahead of the Australian Open which begins on January 14.
“It (the sun) was actually perfect because it’s just like that in Melbourne and it’s the exact same sun and it gives me so many problems,” said the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
“The problem is after you serve you’re blind for the next two balls. So, you’re just kind of hitting blindly,” she said.
Thursday’s victory puts Britain in second place in Group B of the tournament, after they previously defeated Greece 2-1 and lost to Switzerland 3-0.
Later on Thursday Swiss defending champions Federer and Belinda Bencic face Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari of Greece.
Eight teams are competing in two groups in the round-robin tournament, with the winners of each group facing off in the final on Saturday. (NAN)