10/05/2006 They are both currently nursing injuries and defending champion Taylor Dent and 49th-ranked Venus Williams are planning to start the 2007 season sharing the same side of the court at the Hyundai Hopman Cup. Dent, who partnered with Lisa Raymond last January to lead the United States to its third Hopman Cup championship in the past four years, has been sidelined since February due to a back injury that has limited him to five matches this year. Five-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams is scheduled to make her Hopman Cup debut; younger sister Serena paired with James Blake to claim the 2003 Hopman Cup title. Blake teamed with Lindsay Davenport to win the Hopman Cup in 2004 as well. In addition to Dent and Williams, Spain's Tommy Robredo and Anabel Medina Garrigues have also committed to competing at the Hopman Cup. The event is expanding into Asia with the introduction of the inaugural Asian Hopman Cup, to be held in Hyderabad, India in the week of November 20 with the winning nation earning direct entry into the Hyundai Hopman Cup in Perth as the eighth team. The Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) and the Hyundai Hopman Cup are entering a three-year agreement, with the All India Tennis Association (AITA) allocated the event by the ATF for three years. Host India will be represented by Sania Mirza and Leander Paes; organizers expect Thailand and China will both field teams. "The birth of the Asian Hopman Cup is a major step in the evolution of the event," Hopman Cup tournament director Paul McNamee said. "I congratulate the ATF and AITA for their strong endorsement of this great format, and for creating such a powerful bridge from Perth to Asia." The ITF mixed team competition is scheduled for December 30-January 5 at the Burswood Dome in Perth, Australia. For more information, please visit Hopman Cup.com. --

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