World No.15 Ashleigh Barty outclassed France’s Alize Cornet 7-5 6-3 before Matt Ebden overcame a slow start to give Australia an unbeatable 2-0 lead in their opening Hopman Cup tie against France in Perth.
In her first appearance of the new season Barty shot out to a 4-1 lead in the opening set against the veteran Frenchwoman.
Cornet mounted a mini fightback but Barty, spurred on by the home crowd, held her nerve to take the first set.
The 22-year-old Australian made another fast start in the second set and closed out the world No.45 in straight sets in an impressive return from her off-season layoff.
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“A little bit of polish is needed but it was nice to come out and play a pretty clean match,” a relieved Barty said in a post-match interview.
“It’s amazing to get the support. I love being back home, playing in Australia.
“This is one of the best times of the year, there’s nothing like home support and representing your country.”
West Australian Ebden gave the home fans more reason to cheer with a 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 victory over former top-10 player Lucas Pouille to clinch the tie.
After a slow start that saw him drop the first set, Ebden dug deep in a hard-fought second before taking command of the tiebreaker to force a decider.
Ebden continued his impressive comeback in the third set to give the Aussies an unassailable 2-0 lead in their tournament-opener.
The French pair won the mixed-doubles in straight sets to avoid a whitewash.
