France reached the Hopman Cup final when Richard Gasquet finished off Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-4 on his fifth match point Thursday to secure a 2-0 victory over Spain. Marion Bartoli gave the French a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series when she beat Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-2, 6-4 in the women's singles and Gasquet ensured France would finish at the top of Group B when he fended off Verdasco. The doubles match was scrapped. France last reached the final of the international mixed-team competition in 1998, when Mary Pierce and Cedric Pioline lost to Slovakia. The Australian team of Lleyton Hewitt and Jarmila Gajdisova won for the first time with a 2-1 victory over China, which finished the tournament with three losses in Group B. Li gave China the lead when she beat Gajdisova 6-3, 6-2, but Hewitt leveled with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Wu in men's singles. The Australians combined to win the deciding mixed doubles 8-5 in a pro set. France's opponent will be decided by Friday's Group A ties.
