Serena Williams, of the United States, reacts after winning the first set over Dinara Safina, of Russia, during their sem-ifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York yesterday. Serena won 6-3, 6-2 and will meet Jelena Jankovic in today's final. - AP

PERTH, Australia (AP):

Serena Williams and James Blake will represent the top-seeded United States in the Hopman Cup mixed teams tennis tournament, organisers said yesterday.

Combined to win title

Williams and Blake combined to win the 2003 Hopman Cup - one of four titles for the United States in the 20-year history of the event.

Lleyton Hewitt and Casey Dellacqua are scheduled to represent Australia in the January 3-9 tournament.

Dominika Cibulkova will partner Dominik Hrbaty for Slovakia, Germany will be represented by Sabine Lisicki and Nicolas Kiefer and France has top 20 players Alize Cornet and Gilles Simon in its team for the eight-nation event.

Federer joins Swiss team

GENEVA (AP):

Roger Federer ended the speculation over his Davis Cup plans yesterday and announced he will play for Switzerland against the United States next March.

It will be the first time in five years that the 13-time Grand Slam singles winner has broken up his early season schedule for the Davis Cup.

"I am excited to once again join my fellow Swiss teammates, who I have a great friendship with," Federer said on his official Web site. "I look forward to what I am sure will be a tough weekend."

The World Group first-round series will be played March 6-8 in the U.S. at a venue to be chosen by the United States Tennis Association in the next six weeks.

Federer helped Switzerland rejoin the elite World Group when it beat Belgium last month.

He beat Kristof Vliegen in straight sets, then teamed up with Stanislas Wawrinka, his Olympic doubles gold medal-winning partner in Beijing, to win their doubles match. Federer last played a Davis Cup first-round match in 2004, a victory over Romania in Bucharest.Switzerland and the U.S. have a 1-1 record in Davis Cup meetings.

In 2001, Federer won three points - including singles victories over Todd Martin and Jan-Michael Gambill - when Switzerland beat the United States in the first round in his home city, Basel.

The U.S. beat the Swiss in the 1992 final at Fort Worth, Texas, with Andre Agassi and Jim Courier playing singles and John McEnroe and Pete Sampras in doubles.