Hopman Cup: China beat in play-off by Netherlands
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-12-30 20:48

But Wessels soon put the Dutch team back on course, taking just 51 minutes to crush China's top-ranked male player Sun Peng 6-2, 6-2.

Sun, ranked 344 in the world, was no match for his more experienced rival.

"I did quite well today. I put a lot of pressure on him, especially on his second serve, and it paid off because he also played a couple of double faults on important points," Wessels said.

The tournament is the first elite-level event to officially allow players to contest decisions with the electronic Hawk-eye line-calling system.

Krajicek was the first player to make use of it when she had chair umpire Pascal Maria's line call overturned in the third game of her match with Peng.

The Netherlands will now face the Argentinian paring of Gisela Dulko and Gaston Gaudio on Monday.

In the opening round of the tournament-proper on Saturday, the Australian team of Wayne Arthurs and Samantha Stosur -- both doubles specialists -- are scheduled to meet the German pair of Nicolas Keifer and Anna-Lena Groenefeld.

The Germans, although unseeded for the tournament, have become the favourites to win the event with local bookmakers.

Group A, which consists of Russia, the United States, Sweden and Serbia and Montenegro, will kick-off with a tie between the USA and Serbia and Montenegro on Sunday.