Australia won the decisive Group B tie against Belarus to set up a semifinal clash against Switzerland, that beat home team Czech Republic to claim top spot in Group B at the Billie Jean King Cup at the O2 Arena in Prague. Russia and the USA will clash in the other semifinal.
Switzerland beats Czech Republic 2-1
Olympic silver medallist Marketa Vondrousova beat Viktorija Golubic 6-4 6-2 in 85 minutes. Golubic won the first nine points and earned an early break to open up a 4-1 lead. Vondrousova held serve before breaking back to draw level to 4-4. Vondrousova earned her second break to seal the first set 6-4. Vondrousova won nine consecutive games to take the second set 6-2.
This year’s Olympic champion Belinda Bencic edged Barbora Krejcikova 7-6 (7-2) 6-4. Bencic earned an early break, but Krejikova broke back, as her Swiss rival was serving for the set at 5-4. Bencic won the tie-break 7-2. Bencic went up an early break at the start of the second set, but Krejicikova broke straight back. Bencic earned her second break in the crucial seventh game to take a 4-3 lead and saved three break points on her own serve.
Bencic teamed up with Jill Teichmann to beat Katerina Siniakova and Lucie Hradecka 6-3 6-3 in the doubles match. The Swiss team faced just one break point.
Australia beats Belarus 2-1
Storm Sanders did not face a break point in her 6-3 6-3 win over Billie Jean King Cup debutante Yuliya Hatouka. In the second match Ajla Tompljanovic came back from one set down to beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich 4-6 6-3 6-2 in 1 hour and 58 minutes after a match marked by seven breaks of serve.
Sasnovich teamed up with Lydziya Marozava to beat Olivia Gadecki and Ellen Perez 6-4 6-4 in the doubles match.
Russia beats France 2-1
Four-time Billie Jean King Cup champions Russia became the first team to secure a semifinal spot after a 2-1 win over France at the O2 Arena in Prague. Russia set up a semifinal clash against the US team, that beat Spain 2-1 in the night session to finish at the top of the Group C.
French 20-year-old Clara Burel rallied from one set down to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 3-6 6-4 6-3 after 1 hour and 57 minutes in the opening match, which featured 17 breaks of serve. Burel, who reached her first WTA Final in Lausanne last July, closed out the first set on her fifth set points, won six consecutive games from the end of the second set through the end of the third set to race out to a 4-0 lead in the third set. Alexandrova pulled one break back, but Burel sealed the win on her sixth match point after a double fault from Alexandrova.
“I was just really excited to play for the team, for my country, I just wanted to win so badly to stay alive in this competition”, said Burel.
Anastasya Pavlyuchenkova came back from one set down to beat Alizé Cornet 5-7 6-4 6-2 drawing the tie to 1-1.
