Karolina Pliskova was the star of the day for the Czech Republic as they recovered from 1-2 down to book their place in the last four of the Fed Cup.
The defending champions was level at 1-1 on the first day of the tie aftera duo of shock results. Petra Kvitova suffered a 6-3, 6-4, loss to Monica Niculescu after Karolina Pliskova’s stunning three sets win over Simona Halep in the first match of the tie.
The deciding day of action began with a mouthwatering clash between Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova. Halep had a winning head-to-head of 2-0 going into the tie after defeating Kvitova in New Haven (2013) and Madrid (2014). The highly anticipated tie didn’t disappoint the home Crowd in Romania as Halep battled to win 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, after two hours and 13 minutes of play. The loss is a big disappointment for Kvitova, who has an early break in the third set. Speaking to the Romanian press about what she did differently in her match against Kvitova compared to her opening match, Halep said that she used the advice given to her from Darren Cahill, who has previously worked with her.
“I spoke with Darren Cahill, he told me what I did yesterday and what you can do today. I managed to put into practice what he said and it was good advice”. The world No.3 said.
“Darren even told me that today begins the year for me. I feel better and am confident that I can continue at this pace,”. She added.
The positive start to the day by the host country was spoiled during the fourth tie between Pliskova and Niculesco. Reminiscent of Sunday’s opening match, it was a tough battle between both players. Pliskova was on course to clinch the win in straight sets after leading 6-3, 4-2. The Czech player’s momentum was then disrupted after the Romanian world No.37 won two consecutive breaks to service to force a deciding set. Despite the admirable efforts from Niculescu, Pliskova held her nerve to win 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, to level the tie 2-2.
The deciding match of the first round tie enlisted the help of Pliskova once again. The world No.13 teamed up with Barbora Strýcová to play against Andreea Mitu and doubles specialist Raluca Olaru. Unlike the two previous singles matches, the doubles tie was a one-sided encounter in the Czech Republic’s favor. The Czech duo fired 31 winners and faced no break points during their 6-2, 6-3, victory.
The straightforward doubles victory has booked the Czech Republic a semifinal showdown with Switzerland. The Swiss team defeated Germany 3-2 in their match. The Czech Republic has a leading head-to-head of 5-1 against the Swiss. Their only loss occurred in the second round of the 1986 Fed Cup tournament.
