VOA常速英语2007年-USA, Aussies Win at Hopman Cup Tennis

By VOA Sports
Washington, DC
29 December 2007

The United States has defeated India, 2-1, and host country Australia scored a 2-1 upset over the Czech Republic at the Hopman Cup mixed team tennis competition in Perth, Australia.

The American team of Meghann Shaughnessy and Mardy Fish won the opening match. Shaughnessy, a one-day substitute¹ for defending Australian Open champion Serena Williams, scored a three-set win over India's Sania Mirza, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Williams is recovering from a knee injury, but is expected to play in the Americans' next match on Monday.

Fish secured² the victory with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Rohan Bopanna of India. Bopanna and Mirza won the mixed doubles, 6-4, 6-4.

In the second best-of-three match series, Australia's Alicia Molik and Peter Luczak beat the third seeded team of Lucie Safarova and Tomas Berdych, 7-5, 6-3 in the doubles to win 2-1.

The two countries split³ the singles with Molik beating Safarova in the women's singles (7-5, 6-2) and Berdych downing Luczak in the men's match, (7-6, 6-4). The top teams in each four-team group after round-robin play advance to the final.

The tournament is one of several hard-court events players are using to prepare for the first major tournament of the new season - the Australian Open - which starts January 14th in Melbourne.

Some information for this report was provided⁴ by AFP, AP.

1 substitute   

n.代理，代理人，代用品，代替物；vt.代替；vi.替代，取代

参考例句：

• Can you substitute for the singer who is ill?你能替一下那位得了病的歌手吗？
• Yogurt is a perfectly acceptable substitute for cream in cooking.酸奶是烹饪用的特别受欢迎的奶油替代品。

2 secured   

adj. 无虑的, 安心的, 安全的 adj. 牢靠的, 稳妥的 vt. 固定, 获得, 使...安全 vi. (海上工作人员)停止工作 vi. (船)抛锚, 停泊

参考例句：

• He secured the appointment of professor of English literature in the university. 他获聘为该大学的英国文学教授。
• By strengthening the embankments they secured the village from floods. 他们加固河堤让村子免受洪水之灾。

3 split   

n.劈开，裂片，裂口；adj.分散的；v.分离，分开，劈开

参考例句：

• Who told you that Mary and I had split up?谁告诉你玛丽和我已经离婚了？
• The teacher split the class up into six groups.老师把班级分成6个小组。

4 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。