Williams to head US Hopman Cup challenge

Brisbane( Australia), Oct 30: Serena Williams will team up with Mardy Fish to lead the United States' challenge at the Hopman Cup in Perth later this year, organisers said today.

The Australian Open champion helped steer the US to victory in the 2003 Hopman Cup along with James Blake. She captured the Australian Open title in that year also.

Williams and Fish will face fierce competition this year with Serbian duo Novak Djokovic and Jelena Jankovic, both ranked number three in the world, among the confirmed entries for the competition, which begins on December 29.

Other countries taking part are hosts Australia, France, the Czech Republic, India and Argentina.

The final team will be the winner of the six-nation Asian Hopman Cup, which takes place in Bangkok from November 8-11.

That event will be contested by South Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Uzbekistan and hosts Thailand.

UNI