PERTH, Australia (AP)—Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova and Grigor Dimitrov came back from a set down to win the deciding mixed doubles and complete a 2-1 victory over Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki and Frederik Nielsen at the Hopman Cup on Wednesday.
The Bulgarians won the mixed doubles 3-6, 6-4, 10-1 in the match tiebreak, leaving both teams with 1-1 records in Group A.
The No. 1-ranked Wozniacki had given Denmark an early 1-0 lead when she beat Pironkova 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 in singles but Dimitrov leveled for Bulgaria, beating Nielsen 7-6 (5), 6-2.
The Czech Republic will take on the United States in Group A later Wednesday.
The Czechs and Denmark play each other Friday, featuring a women’s singles encounter between Wozniacki and No. 2-ranked Petra Kvitova.
Wozniacki beat American Bethanie Mattek-Sands in straight sets in her first singles match Monday just hours after arriving from Thailand.
On Wednesday, she and Pironkova both struggled with their serves and Wozniacki was given a code violation for receiving coaching from her father during the seventh game of the third set.
“It was a tough match. I like to give the spectators a little bit of value for their money,” Wozniacki said. “I’m not a real morning person so 9.30 is pretty early for me.”
Nielsen, who pushed eighth-ranked Mardy Fish of the U.S. to three sets on Monday, put up stiff resistance in the first set before Dimitrov dominated in the second.
“It was definitely a tough match today. The guy was attacking at every opportunity,” Dimitrov said. “I got a bit lucky on some shots. He played some great tennis.”
In Group B on Thursday, winless Australia and China play in the morning before France and Spain, both 2-0, play at night. The winner of France-Spain will advance to the final from that group.