The Hopman Cup always provides a novel start to the new season, but its 2019 edition delivered even more tennis rarities than usual:

1

Roger Federer and Serena Williams squared off in a mixed-doubles match for the very first time.

2

Greece fielded a team for only the second time, headlined by new sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas.

3

Thanks to the Fast4 format, the final match culminated in a championship point for both teams simultaneously: At 4-4 in the third-set tiebreak between Switzerland and Germany, it was truly winner take all.

And what a point it was, with Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber trying relentlessly to pass Federer and Belinda Bencic at the net, but ultimately failing when Zverev went for a backhand too far out of his reach.

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The win gave #Benderer their second consecutive Hopman Cup crown, and made Federer the winningest player in the tournament's history, with three total championships.

Bencic, 21 years old with two titles, has plenty of time to overtake Federer for the record, that is if the event survives into future years.

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Either way, Federer is perfectly primed for his run at a third-straight Australian Open, with four singles wins in Perth and not a single loss.

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Bencic, having taken Serena Williams to three sets, will look to continue her quest to return to the Top 10.