The Serbian pair of current world No. 1 Djokovic and former world No. 1, and French Open winner, Ivanovic were heavily favoured win the Hopman Cup for Serbia for the first time, but nobody told the Spanish pair.
Djokovic kept things to plan for Serbia with the final starting with the men's singles and the five-time Grand Slam winner had little trouble accounting for former world No. 7 Verdasco in straight-sets, winning 6-3, 7-5.
That meant that the 50th ranked Spaniard Medina Garrigues had to step up against the former world No. 1 Ivanovic just to keep her country alive at the Hopman Cup.
The 30-year-old started strongly winning the first set 6-4, but Ivanovic wasn’t about to lie down and despite appearing to struggle with some sort of ailment, won the second set tie-break seven points to three to force a third set.
In that deciding set it was all Medina Garrigues as she cruised to win it 6-2 and freely admitted afterwards that a big win over a high-profile opponent in front of a big crowd at a big stadium was something she has waited her whole career for.
The final then went to the deciding mixed doubles and the experience of Medina Garrigues especially in doubles proved crucial as Spain won in straight-sets, 6-4, 7-5.
The victory is a first Hopman Cup title for both Medina Garrigues and Verdasco, but it is far from a first win in Perth for Spain.
In fact, Spain is now closing in on the USA as the most successful Hopman Cup nation with four victories now in the 25 years of the tournament. The United States is the only country with more having won six.
Ivanovic and Djokovic have now represented Serbia at three Hopman Cups and failed to take home the trophy on any occasion. Their first appearance was in 2006 as a pair of 18-year-olds with bright futures.
By the time they returned in 2011, they had both realised that potential and were on their way to becoming greats of the game.
The pair qualified for the final at Hopman Cup XXIII but Ivanovic injured a stomach muscle in her last women's singles match against Belgian great Justine Henin, and that failed to improve in time for the final and Serbia had to withdraw.
Djokovic also made another appearance in 2008 alongside Jelena Jankovic and the pair qualified for the final against the USA's Serena Williams and Mardy Fish, but with Jankovic troubled by a leg injury the Americans prevailed.
That meant that the Serbian stars arrived at the Perth Arena this time around desperate to win the Hopman Cup for their country for the first time, but in the end it just wasn’t to be as the Spaniards prevailed in an enthralling final on Saturday night.
Medina Garrigues and Verdasco now follow in the footsteps of Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Emilio Sanchez, who won at Hopman Cup II in 1990, Sanchez Vicario and Tommy Robredo, who won in 2002, and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Robredo, who won in 2010.
Medina Garrigues was on her third visit to the Hopman Cup having firstly partnered Robredo in 2007 with the pair making the final before losing to Russia's Nadia Petrova and Dmitry Tursunov.
Her second time was last year with Verdasco with the Spanish pair narrowly missing the final at the hands of France's Marion Bartoli and Richard Gasquet.
It was third time lucky for the veteran who has amassed 11 WTA singles titles and 18 doubles titles throughout her career.
She had a tremendous week beating South Africa's Chanelle Scheepers, France's Mathilde Johansson and then Ivanovic in the final, with her record only blotted with a competitive loss to American great Venus Williams.
Medina Garrigues has no question that winning the Hopman Cup, especially up against a former world No. 1 and current world No. 1, is one of her career highlights and it came close to not even happening due to a back injury.
"I have never played in front of a crowd like this before and I'm really happy that I was able to win with Fernando. Without him I think this would have been almost impossible," Medina Garrigues said.
"It was a great pleasure for me to play against Ana and Nole, the No. 1 in the world. I was thinking that I just wanted to play the mixed only so I could say I play against the No. 1 and tonight we won against them, so I'm really happy.
"After 16 years on the Tour I have now won a big moment like winning here and I get to take the fantastic ball home (diamond encrusted tennis ball). I was dreaming of that.
"I have to thank my physio also because at the beginning of the week it was very difficult for me. I had some big problems in my back and without her I don’t think I could have even come onto the court."
It was a relatively tough week for Verdasco in singles action losing to South African Kevin Anderson, France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Djokovic in the final, with a win over Australian 16-year-old stand-in Thanasi Kokkinakis.
However, Spain was outstanding in the mixed doubles beating South Africa, France, the USA and then Serbia in the final to claim the Hopman Cup.
For Verdasco, he acknowledges that he didn’t have the best week but is delighted to leave Perth with a Hopman Cup crown.
"I have to say thanks to my partner Anabel because I think she won both balls, I need to give her my one. She won almost all her matches in singles and all the mixed doubles this year and last year, so she is the real winner and I don’t know what I'm doing here," Verdasco said.
"It was an absolute pleasure for me to play with her. She's an unbelievable person and the funniest in the world. She tells me things on the court that are completely out of sense, but they are so funny.
"It was a big win for us against Ana and Nole in the final. It was a great win for us."