Arantxa and the kid shoot down Swiss big guns

Spain's former world number one, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, and 19-year-old partner Tommy Robredo ran hot as they thrashed Switzerland 3-0, pushing Spain closer to Saturday's final of the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, last night.

Sanchez-Vicario, now an 18th-ranked 30-year-old, crushed Switzerland's Miroslava Vavrinec (23), ranked 116th, in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0 in 51 minutes in the women's singles.

Then Robredo, ranked 30th in the world, brushed aside 20-year-old Roger Federer in straight sets in the men's singles at Burswood Dome. Robredo won 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 in 73 minutes to demolish the Swiss, who won the title last year and is ranked 17 places above him, as the Spaniards established an unbeatable 2-0 lead.

To emphasise their mastery, the Spaniards then teamed up to trounce their opponents 6-2, 6-3 in the mixed doubles to complete their second clean sweep in two days. They hammered Argentina 3-0 on Sunday.

"It is unreal for me - to start like this is just great," Robredo said.

"I was just trying to do my best. When I won the first set tiebreaker, I think Roger went a little bit down. I got a lot of confidence when Arantxa won her match so well."

The Spaniards can make certain of playing in the final if they beat Australia in their last qualifying clash tomorrow.

Australia will be a formidable combination - world number one Lleyton Hewitt teams up with Alicia Molik, ranked 47th in women's company. But Robredo said he was not overawed at the prospect of meeting the world's top player. "It is great for me to play Hewitt in our next match," he said.

Robredo produced a superb brand of tennis against Federer, keeping ice-cool in the first set tiebreaker and then steamrolling his opponent as he broke him three times in the second set.

Spain are aiming to become the first country to win the Hopman Cup twice. Their first victory was in 1990 when Sanchez-Vicario and brother Emilio beat the United States' John McEnroe and Pam Shriver in the final.

Earlier, Belgium bounced back from 1-0 down to beat a spirited Italian team 2-1. Xavier Malisse and Kim Clijsters won the decisive mixed doubles 6-3, 6-4 against Davide Sanguinetti and Francesca Schiavone for the Group A match.

In the morning session, Malisse was forced to haul Belgium back into the clash by beating Sanguinetti 6-4, 7-5 after Clijsters had been upset by the little-known Schiavone.

The women's world number five slumped to a 6-4, 6-4 defeat in her first match of the new year. Schiavone needed eight match points to beat Clijsters, completing the best win of her career by ripping a backhand down the line.

"I played well and it was a great match," she said afterwards. "It was important. It helped me that we had to qualify for this because I played before and I made some shots ... my confidence is good."

Italy qualified for the main draw by beating Greece in a play-off on Saturday.

Watched by boyfriend and men's world number one Lleyton Hewitt, Clijsters mounted a spirited comeback in the second set but still struggled to hold serve.

Schiavone, ranked 31, bounced back from 3-1 down in the second set with three service breaks before serving out the match.

The Belgians looked more comfortable throughout in the doubles on the indoor court and clinched victory when Clijsters dropped a touch volley just over the net.