Kvitova guides Czech to Fed final

Stuttgart (Germany), April 22: Petra Kvitova put the Czech Republic into a sixth Fed Cup final in eight years as her win against Angelique Kerber on Sunday sealed a 3-1 semifinal victory over Germany.

Kvitova, two-time Wimbledon champion, needed just 58 minutes to power her way to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Kerber and give the Czechs an unassailable lead in the tie.

After the Czechs had gone 2-0 up on Saturday, Julia Goerges had earlier given hosts Germany a a brief life-line with a gritty win over Karolina Pliskova in Stuttgart.

The Czechs will meet France or the USA in the November final.

The final doubles tie between Tatjana Maria/ Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Barbora Strycova/ Katerina Siniakova is now a dead rubber.

Goerges had earlier pulled the Germans back into the tie with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Pliskova.

However in the final singles rubber, Kerber failed to match Goerges’ ambition and conceded three break points to Kvitova in the first set. Kvitova imposed herself on the German in the second set for a convincing win.

The Czech Republic can now make plans for the November final having won the Fed Cup for three straight years from 201416 until the USA won the 2017 title. Japan plucked victory from the jaws of defeat as the hosts beat Britain 3-2 to seal a return to the Fed Cup’s elite level after a four-year absence.

Johanna Konta crushed Naomi Osaka 6-3, 6-3 to put the visitors on the brink of victory before Kurumi Nara upset Heather Watson 7-6 (11-9), 6-4 to take a see-saw World Group II playoff tie to a deciding fifth rubber.

Konta and Watson looked to be cruising in the doubles before Miyu Kato and Makoto Ninomiya hit back to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, ending British hopes of breaking back into the Fed Cup’s top 16 for the first time since 1993.

Meanwhile at Australia, Daria Gavrilova put hosts back into the World Group of the Fed Cup with victory over Quirine Lemoine of The Netherlands in Wollongong.

Gavrilova, who replaced Saturday’s losing teammate Samantha Stosur, beat the 295th-ranked Lemoine 6-3, 6-2 in the fourth singles to give Australia an unassailable 3-1 lead. Australia’s number one Ashleigh Barty had set up the victory after beating Lesley Kerkhove 6-4, 6-2 in the third singles rubber.

— Agencies

Japan win