Czechs set up Fed Cup final with the US
Kvitova tames Kerber as 10-time champions take 3-1 lead
Petra Kvitova put Czech Republic into the Fed Cup final with a convincing victory over Angelique Kerber of Germany that gave the 10-time champions an insurmountable 3-1 lead in the tie in Stuttgart yesterday.
Kvitova, twice Wimbledon champion, struck 24 winners in a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Kerber as the Czechs booked their place in the final for the sixth time in eight years.
“I knew I had to start very strong today and continue that throughout the game,” the 28-year-old said after recording her 30th Fed Cup victory.
“From the beginning of the match I knew I had all the weapons.”
Earlier in the day, German No. 1 Julia Goerges had dragged her country back into the tie with a 6-4 6-2 win over Karolina Pliskova. Goerges needed only 27 minutes to claim the opening set before she took advantage of the first two break opportunities in the second to clinch the victory in under an hour.
But former world No. 1 Kerber struggled to cope with Kvitova’s powerful groundstrokes and was broken five times as the Czechs returned to the final after a one-year absence.
The Czechs are undefeated in their previous five final appearances and will face the US in the final on November 10-11.
Madison Keys saw off Pauline Parmentier in two sets to fire the United States into the final with a 3-1 semi-final win over France.
Keys, 13th in the world, defeated the 122nd-ranked Parmentier 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 to earn the defending champions a November clash with the Czech Republic, who eased past Germany.
Sloane Stephens had put the US on the verge of the final after brushing aside Kristina Mladenovic 6-2, 6-0 in Sunday’s first rubber in Aix-en-Provence.
It was world No. 20 Mladenovic who had given France a fighting chance when ending Coco Vandeweghe’s 13-match Fed Cup win streak to pull France level at 1-1 on Saturday.
But she was unable to repeat those heroics against the US Open champion who had given the Americans their first point when defeating Parmentier 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 in Saturday’s opening rubber.