TENNIS – Lucie Safarova and Petra Kvitova led defending champions from Czech Republic to a 2-0 lead over France in Ostrava in the first day of the World Group semifinals of the Fed Cup. Russia leads 2-0 over Germany in Sochi thanks to the wins of Anastasya Pavlyuchenkova over Sabine Lisicki and Svetlana Kuznetsova over Julia Georges Diego Samapaolo
Safarova fought back from a set down to edge Caroline Garcia with 4-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 after saving five match points in the first rubber match. Garcia broke serve in the 10th game of the opening set with her forehand winner but she could not convert on her five match points in the 10th game of the second set. Safarova fought back to win the second set 7-1 in the tie-break. Safarova got a double break in the third set to pull away to 5-0 before converting her first match to clinch the win with 6-1
“It was a wild match, wasn’t it ? I am really happy that I managed to come back. I was nervous. I served well and got her under pressure. In tennis you can always come back until the final point is over. I did all I could. ”, said Safarova
Petra Kvitova made her come-back after two months of absence with 6-3 6-4 win over Kristina Mladenovic. Kvitova got the decisive break to take a 5-4 lead in the second set before clinching the win on the second match point after the young French player sent her return long.
Russia leads over Germany 2-0
Russia also leads 2-0 over last year’s finalist from Germany in Sochi after the wins of Svetlana Kuznetsova over Julia Georges and of Anastasya Pavlyuchenkova over former Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisici.
Kuznetsova, who won 27 Fed Cup matches becoming the most successful Russian player in this event, beat Georges 6-4 6-4. Georges won just 53 percent of her first serve points and hit 45 unforced errors.
Pavlyuchenkova fought back from a set down to edge past Lisicki with 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-3. The Russian player faced a tough match when she faced a match point in the second set before winning the tie-break
Play-offs:
Serena Williams won a very tight first match against Italian Camila Giorgi with 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 in the Fed Cup Play-Offs in Brindisi but Sara Errani kept Italian hopes alive with a 6-1 6-2 win over Lauren Davis.
Williams and Giorgi could not break in the first set which came down to the tie-break. Both players produced the same number of winners (17) in the first set. Giorgi made 15 unforced errors to Williams’18. Giorgi kept her pace with Williams in the whole first set but Williams played a solid tie-break on serve and clinched the tie-break on the first set point.
“I have not played that many points on the clay so I think that factored a little bit. Giorgi played really well. She had a great game plan. She stayed in there. I stayed positive and and just did the best that I could”, said Williams
Giorgi , who was chosen by Italian captain Corrado Barazzutti over local favourite Flavia Pennetta, missed two consecutive forehands in the tie-break to hand the first set win to Williams who has extended her Fed Cup unbeaten streak record to 15-0.
Agniewska Radwanska beat Martina Hingis 6-4 6-0 in Zielona Gora in the Play-Off match between Switzerland and Poland who are tied 1-1 after the first day.
Hingis made her come-back to the Fed Cup. She played her first competive singles match since 2007. The Swiss legend won just 47 percent of her first serve points and made 25 unforced errosr. Hingishas played her first Fed Cup match since 1998
Timea Bacsinsky eased past Aga’s younger sister Urszula 6-2 6-1
The Netherlands and Australia tied 1-1 after the first day in which Kiki Bertnes beat Jarmila Gajdosowa 6-1 6.3 and Casey Dellacqua edged Aranxta Rus 7-5 6-3. Dellacqua replaced Samantha Stosur who was forced to withdraw because of an Achilles tendon injury. Dellacqua opened up a 5-1 lead in the first set bur Rus won four consecutive points to draw level to 5-5. The Australian player won the next two games to clinch the first set with 7-5 before breaking serve in the 8th game of the second set before saving a break point. Dellacqua then served out for the match.
