Spain are on target for a fifth Hopman Cup final after an injury to Victor Hanescu forced Romania to forfeit their crucial Group A tie Tuesday.
Both nations won their first ties earlier in the mixed teams tournament, but the Spanish pairing of Tommy Robredo and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, aiming to give their country its third title, remained unbeaten when they were handed the 3-0 victory over Romanians Sorana Cirstea and Hanescu.
The Spanish only need to win one of their three rubbers against Australia on Thursday to be certain of reaching Saturday’s final.
Martinez Sanchez was too smart for Cirstea in the women’s singles, using deft ball placement and touch rather than power to unsettle the Romanian, winning 6-4, 6-3 in 92 minutes.
Robredo, who was part of the last Spanish team to win the Hopman Cup when he teamed with Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 2002, then took the first set off Hanescu, 6-3, before the Romanian retired.
Hanescu, who struggled with cramp against Lleyton Hewitt on Saturday, sought treatment after the third game for what appeared to be an upper leg or groin injury.
He played on but conceded as soon as Robredo claimed the first set, forcing the Romanians to also concede what would have been a dead mixed doubles rubber.
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