Arab Times

Keys sets up US Fed Cup final with Czech Republic

Australia, Japan seal return to World Group

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PARIS, April 22, (AFP): Madison Keys saw off France’s Pauline Parmentier to fire the United States into the Fed Cup final where the Czech Republic lie in wait for the defending champions.

Keys, 13th in the world, defeated the 122nd-ranked Parmentier 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 to earn the US a 3-1 win in Aix-enProvence.

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.

It was world number 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 match.

Earlier, Petra Kvitova put the Czech Republic into a sixth Fed Cup final in eight years following her win against Angelique Kerber in the other semifinal in Stuttgart.

Kvitova, a 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 3-1 lead over Germany.

After the Czechs had gone 2-0 up on Saturday, Julia Goerges had given hosts Germany a brief lifeline by beating Karolina Pliskova before Kvitova’s decisive win.

“I am very relieved. I was getting nervous before this game,” admitted Kvitova.

“We had a great position from yesterday, I think Julia played a really good match.

“I knew we still needed one point from our last two games and I just did my best.”

In Sunday’s concluding dead doubles, Barbora Strycova and Katerina Siniakova took the first set 7-5 before being awarded the match when Goerges, playing alongside Anna-Lena Groenefeld, retired hurt.

It was a bitter end to the day for Goerges.

Madison Keys of Team USA returns a ball to France’s Pauline Parmentier, during the Fed Cup semifinal between France and USA, on April 22 at the

Arena Stadium in Aix-en-Provence. (AFP)

She had pulled the Germans back into the tie with a determined 6-4, 6-2 win over Pliskova only for Kerber to fail to maintain the momentum against Kvitova.

“It will take a while to get over it,” admitted Kerber.

“We all know that was a great opportunit­y for us,” she added, as the Germans missed out on a first appearance in the Fed Cup final since 2014.

The Czechs had won the title three times in a row until the US dethroned them last year.

In Wollongong, Australia, Daria Gavrilova put Australia back into the World Group of the Fed Cup with victory over Quirine Lemoine of the Netherland­s on Sunday.

The 24th-ranked Gavrilova, who replaced Saturday’s losing team-mate Samantha Stosur, beat the 295thranke­d Lemoine 6-3, 6-2 in the fourth singles to give Australia an unassailab­le 3-1 lead.

“It feels amazing, I was super nervous. Just playing for your country is so much harder than playing in a normal tournament and I’m so thankful for the home support,” Gavrilova said on court.

Australia’s number one and 19thranked Ashleigh Barty had set up the victory with her second convincing win of the weekend, downing Lesley Kerkhove 6-4, 6-2 in the third singles rubber.

Gavrilova later teamed with Destanee Aiava to win the dead doubles rubber, 6-3, 6-2 over Demi Schuuers and Kerkhove to complete a 4-1 win.

Australia were last in the elite group of the Fed Cup in 2015, while the Netherland­s were trying to prolong their three-year stay in the top tier.

In Miki, Japan, Japan plucked victory from the jaws of defeat as the hosts beat Britain 3-2 on Sunday 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.

A missed Konta volley gave the Japanese breathing space in the final set before Ninomiya’s crunching forehand on their third match point completed a fighting comeback win after two hours, 11 minutes.

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