To reach the final, India needed to win their match and hope for an Australian win over the United States in the other match of the day. As it turned out, the United States claimed the final spot from Group B, posting a 3-0 win over Australia.

The Americans will play top seeds Serbia in the final after the latter emerged toppers in Group A with a 2-1 victory over Argentina.

Sania lost to Lucie Safarova 2-6, 6-4, 3-6 while Bopanna bowed to Tomas Berdych 0-6, 4-6. Sania and Bopanna kept their unbeaten record in mixed doubles matches in the Hopman Cup, defeating Safarova and Berdych 6-3, 6-2 for their sixth straight win. "It's a shame we didn't get to the final, but at least we kept our unbeaten record," Sania said. "The good thing is we got a lot of matches in this week — a lot of good matches, so it is very good preparation for the Australian Open."

Serena Williams spearheaded the American challenge, beating Alicia Molik 6-2 7-6. Mardy Fish overcame Peter Luczak 7-6 7-6 to give the Americans an unassailable 2-0 lead. Williams and Fish then outclassed Molik and Luczak in the mixed, winning it 6-2 6-3 to complete the hosts' misery.

Australian Open champion Williams, who did not concede a single break point in the whole match, ripped through the first set in less than half an hour.

Molik, who reached a career-high ranking of eight in 2005 before an inner-ear infection put her out for six months, saved break points in the ninth and 11th games to force a tiebreak in the second set. She then saved two match points at 6-5 and 7-6 down but a double fault gave Williams victory at the third time of asking.

Jelena Jankovic, who hurt her right leg on Wednesday, could not complete her singles match with Gisela Dulko as Argentina went 1-0 up against the Serbs. Novak Djokovic, the men's world number three, levelled the contest with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Juan Ignacio Chela before Jankovic returned to help Serbia win the mixed doubles 6-1, 3-6, 7-6. 

In the same group, Tatiana Golovin crushed Hsieh Su-wei 6-1, 6-1 before Arnaud Clement got the better of Lu Yen-hsun 7-6, 6-4 as France defeated Chinese Taipei.