PERTH, Australia - Andy Murray and Laura Robson made a victorious start for Britain 18 years after the nations; last appearance at the Hopman mixed team event, marking their personal debuts with a 2-1 victory over Kazakhstan.
Murray, the 22-year-old world number four, had a handful on and off the court with 15-year-old prodigy Robson, Australian-born but 100 percent British in attitude and accent.
The teenager even got Murray to change his clothing to white so that his blue and green did not clash with her purple outfit on court, a stipulation the Scot grudgingly accepted.
But the fashion dictate proved to be no hindrance to the win over Kazakhstan which sent the Brits on their way as the first team since Jo Durie and Jeremy Bates nearly two decades ago.
In the morning session, Russia beat Germany 2-1.
Kazak Yaroslava Shvedova began the evening session over Robson, the 2008 junior Wimbledon winner, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0,while Murray then staged the recovery needed to beat number 133 Audrey Golubev 6-2, 6- 2.
The first-time British pair teamed successfully in the mixed to earn victory 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (12-10) match tiebreak.
"It was a good day of tennis," said Murray. "The mixed can get emotional and competitive at the end. It was good fun and we both enjoyed it.
"We never trained together but I'm keen on it now. I would certainly consider playing mixed at the London 2012 Olympics.
"The singles win was a good way to start. I got up an early break and got more confident as it went on." Robson was watched by a group of her Perth relatives. "I had a good start in singles and then it all went downhill," said the teenager. "My biggest problem was not making enough serves.
"We won the doubles, so i can go to sleep happy." Russians Igor Andreev and Elena Dementieva used experience to turn the tide in their 2-1 defeat of Germany as the 2007 champion nation advanced in round-robin play.
The tie came down to the mixed doubles with the pair of 28-year- olds securing the Group B victory in a two-hour struggle as they beat Philipp Kohlschreiber and Sabine Lisicki 6-4, 7-6 (9-7).
The result came after on-form Lisicki had opened the door for the Germans with a demolition of world number five Dementieva 6-4, 6-1. In the men's singles, Kohlschreiber was unable to convert a week of training in hothouse conditions into a victory, suffering a 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-3 loss to Andreev.
"She played very well today; Sabine had a very powerful game," two-time Grand Slam finalist Dementieva said.
As for the mixed match, she said: "I haven't played doubles for long, long time. It is fun to hit against a guy." The 27th-ranked Kohlschreiber blamed himself for the tight doubles loss. "Sabine did all she could," he said. "I was the bad person today." "I always thought that we could win, but in the end, we missed a bit of luck," he said. "It was a tough third set - just one bad game, but that kills you in the end." Kohlschreiber went down for the eighth time without a victory against Andreev, who arrived in Australia a few days ago.
"I was happy to win today; it was a very tough match for both of us," the Russian said. "We played some good points. I'm happy to start the year with a victory." "I'm still jet-lagged, but it's good to get a win," he added.
Britons Andy Murray and Laura Robson are to face Kazakhstan in the evening session.
