Tennis News

Four countries fight for two spots in the 2017 Fed Cup Final this weekend as Belarus hosts Switzerland, which looks to make its first final in nearly two decades. Half a world away in Florida, the United States finds itself heavily favored against a Czech Republic squad. wtatennis.com previews the semifinals, and all the playoff action as nations look to seal up their positions for 2018.

The #FedCup semifinals are just 2️⃣ days away! Time to get excited! pic.twitter.com/YsLasbpAfb

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 20, 2017

Belarus vs. Switzerland

Venue: Chizhovka Arena, Minsk, Belarus

Surface: Hard, Indoor

A Swiss squad at full strength will take on the Cinderella story of this year’s Fed Cup in Minsk for a place in November’s Fed Cup final.

Belarus, without the services of Victoria Azarenka, pulled off a stunning victory against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals in February, as Aliaksandra Sasnovich and teenager Aryna Sabalenka led the red and green to a 4-1 victory. Those two will be tasked with singles action once again, as Sasnovich is slated to play Viktorija Golubic for the second time in three weeks first up on Saturday, while Sabalenka will face Timea Bacsinszky.

?? Belarus and ?? Switzerland meet in this weekend's semifinal, but who will advance to the #FedCupFinal? pic.twitter.com/Sq10xgC1M5

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 20, 2017

Should the tie come down to the deciding doubles, Olga Govortsova and 2016 Australian Open girls’ champion Vera Lapko have been tabbed to face Martina Hingis and Belinda Bencic. With a victory, Hingis would appear in a Fed Cup Final for the second time in her career, as she played three rubbers in Switzerland’s 3-2 defeat to Spain in 1998.

Thank you @belarustennis for this beautiful evening! #official #evening @FedCup #BLRSUI pic.twitter.com/6nIR3VBG5D

— Swiss Tennis (@swiss_tennis) April 20, 2017

Belarus and Switzerland last faced off in the World Group II Play-offs in 2012, as Bacsinszky won the deciding rubber against Sasnovich in her team’s 4-1 win.

R1: Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) v Viktorija Golubic (SUI)

R2: Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) v Timea Bacsinszky (SUI)

R3: Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) v Timea Bacsinszky (SUI)

R4: Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) v Viktorija Golubic (SUI)

R5: Olga Govortsova/Vera Lapko (BLR) v Belinda Bencic/Martina Hingis (SUI)

Though she’s not on the court for her country in this tie, Azarenka has been present at the Chizhovka Arena during practice in support of the team, and will be on hand for the weekend’s action.

Former #1 in @FedCup team of Belarus @vika7 and acting #1 @_Sasnovich 🙂 Наша гордость – наши спортсменки!#tennisby #FedCup #BLRSUI pic.twitter.com/9BnQeNjMV1

— BY.TENNIS (@belarustennis) April 20, 2017

Happy to see each other again? @BelindaBencic @TimeaOfficial @vika7 @belarustennis @FedCup #BLRSUI pic.twitter.com/bHJSOnJn2X

— Swiss Tennis (@swiss_tennis) April 20, 2017

Czech Republic vs. USA

Venue: Saddlebrook Resort, Florida, USA

Surface: Clay, Outdoor

It’s not often that the Czech Republic and “underdogs” can be used in the same sentence regarding Fed Cup this decade,

While the Czech Republic has won five of the last five six Fed Cups, the team that’ll face the United States in Florida with a trip to a fourth straight final at stake is a young one. Leading the charge for the Czech Republic is World No.38 Katerina Siniakova, joined by Denisa Allertova alongside debutants Kristyna Pliskova and Marketa Vondrousova.

The best nation in #FedCup history takes on the best nation in the last decade when ?? USA and ?? Czech Republic face off in the semifinal! pic.twitter.com/7pTyv70HX5

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 21, 2017

Both Siniakova and Allertova have been named to Czech Fed Cup squads before, while Pliskova and Vondrousova have Fed Cup experience of a different sort. The 17-year-old, who made a stunning run to the title at the Ladies Open Biel Bienne earlier this month, was a member of the team that won the Junior Fed Cup in 2015, while Kristyna called up a team stalwart for a little advice — twin sister and World No.3 Karolina, who’s played in six ties for their country.

“Of course, she told me a lot and I asked a lot of questions,” Kristyna told fedcup.com’s Sandra Harwitt in Florida. “I asked about everything – clothes, the matches, and how is the team.”

For the United States, Australian Open semifinalist Coco Vandeweghe will lead the Americans at home for the second straight tie alongside Shelby Rogers, while World No.1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands will hold down the fort in doubles alongside Lauren Davis for the stars and stripes should the tie feature a live fifth rubber.

How well do the ?? USA #FedCup team know each other?? ? pic.twitter.com/VgEpgCiD3F

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 21, 2017

R1: CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) v Marketa Vondrusova (CZE)

R2: Shelby Rogers (USA) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)

R3: CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)

R4: Shelby Rogers (USA) v Marketa Vondrusova (CZE)

R5: Lauren Davis and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) v Denisa Allertova and Kristyna Pliskova (CZE)

In the World Group Play-offs, Angelique Kerber returns to Fed Cup after missing February’s tie against the United States to lead Germany against Ukraine in what could be the most evenly-poised tie of the weekend. Kerber and Julia Goerges have been tabbed in singles against Elina Svitolina and Lesia Tsurenko in Stuttgart in a tie that could come down to the deciding doubles rubber of Laura Siegemund and Carina Witthoeft against Olga Savchuk and Nadiia Kichenok.

Elsewhere, France hosts Spain as Kristina Mladenovic takes her place as France’s No.1 in her top 20 season, while Russia fields three WTA title-winners (Elena Vesnina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Daria Kasatkina) at home against Belgium. Wrapping up the World Group Play-offs, Slovakia and the Netherlands will meet for the second straight year, as the Slovaks will rely on the youth of Jana Cepelova and Rebecca Sramkova in singles play.

Eight countries will also compete in the World Group II Play-offs, as Sara Errani leads a young Italian team against Chinese Taipei; Australia travels to Serbia; Simona Halep and Romania hosts Johanna Konta and Great Britain in an anticipated tie; and Yulia Putintseva and Yaroslava Shvedova look to lead Kazakhstan to uncharted territory for 2018 in Canada.

NEW HAVEN, CT, USA – It was more complicated than Petra Kvitova would have liked, but the three-time Connecticut Open champion came back from a set down to advance against Louisa Chirico, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Watch live action from New Haven this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

“Luckily I turned it around, it was a difficult match for my first round here after a year,” Kvitova said afterwards.

“I didn’t play Cincinnati and I got sick in Rio, so it was a little bit difficult for me but I’m glad I was able to win it. I really had to fight for every point at the end.”

Chirico, an American qualifier, brought all of the powerful game that saw her make a breakthrough run to reach the semifinals in Madrid earlier this year. Kvitova was struggling to find her timing, and despite earning the first break of the match, she quickly found herself being outhit as Chirico rattled off six straight games to take the opening set.

The defending champion wasn’t too rattled though, as three-set comebacks are what she’s built her “P3tra” reputation on.

“I think that tennis now is very open, and with all the experience I have already, losing the first set doesn’t mean anything to me,” Kvitova said. “Even with the 6-1, which was not easy.”

The Czech’s lefty forehand found its marks and Kvitova broke twice to reel off five straight games of her own and take the second set to restore scoreboard parity, before going on to take the third set.

She needed an hour and thirty-four minutes to complete the turnaround and advance to the second round, improving her impressive Connecticut Open record to 17-2 overall.

Her victory sets up a second-round clash against Eugenie Bouchard, who had a much smoother time against German qualifier Annika Beck. The Canadian dictated play throughout, dragging Beck from line to line and keeping her on the run in the quick 6-2, 6-1 win.

It was the opposite story for four-time Connecticut Open champion Caroline Wozniacki, who took a wildcard into the tournament in a bid to rehab her injury-laden 2016 season. It was her first time playing against Jelena Ostapenko, and the 19-year-old youngster ousted her 7-5, 6-2 on her New Haven debut.

“It wasn’t my best match, but as well you just have to go with it and give her credit where credit is due,” Wozniacki said.

“I think I just haven’t played very much, and just a little bit unlucky as well.”

NEW HAVEN, CT, USA – Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska overcame an early challenge from 19-year-old Jelena Ostapenko to advance in straight sets in her opening match at the Connecticut Open.

Watch live action from New Haven this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

Radwanska took a wild card into the event in search of extra tune-up matches ahead of the US Open, and she was certainly put through her paces against the young Ostapenko.

“I was actually really surprised,” Radwanska said after the match, which was the pair’s first encounter. “She’s really a very smart and solid player. She’s very young and she can already do everything on court. She can play a really good game and for sure she’s gonna be good.”

Ostapenko and Radwanska traded breaks at the start of the match and held level throughout, with Radwanska’s cerebral game matching up against the teenager’s aggressive style. Ostapenko held a set point at 5-4 on Radwanska’s serve in the first set but was unable to convert as her backhand misfired and the unforced error count did her in. The Pole held her serve and won seven games on the trot to take the opening set and a commanding 4-0 lead in the second before easing through 7-5, 6-1.

Now into the quarterfinals, Radwanska is seeking one more win to end a drought dating back to April: the former World No.2 hasn’t reached a semifinal since the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, a streak she’s certainly hoping to snap heading into the US Open.

“I think these kind of matches is always good to have before a Grand Slam,” she said. “It was a great match and I’m really happy I could play my best game. I just hope that I could play the same tennis the next match and be fully prepared for the Grand Slam.”

Radwanska awaits the winner between Caroline Garcia and lucky loser Kirsten Flipkens.

Injuries and withdrawals may have wreaked havoc on the New Haven draw, but Flipkens is one player who’s certainly not complaining. The Belgian was called in at the last minute to replace Lesia Tsurenko, another lucky loser who had to pull out from the main draw with a right knee injury.

“Well, it was a crazy story,” Flipkens said of getting the call to play. “There were so many lucky losers, and I only found out at 12:15 today that I was going to play at two o’clock!”

The Belgian took full advantage of the second chance against Belinda Bencic, defeating the Swiss teenager 6-1, 4-6, 7-5. Bencic served for the match at 5-4 in the third, but Flipkens rallied to win four games in a row and advance.

Along with Radwanska, three other players booked early spots into the New Haven quarterfinals. Ekaterina Makarova grabbed the first quarterfinal berth after a 6-3, 6-2 win over Anastasija Sevastova. Meanwhile, Elena Vesnina booked a clash against the No.10 seed Elina Svitolina. Vesnina made her way to the quarterfinals after Anett Kontaveit retired at 6-4, 1-0, while Svitolina swept past Evgeniya Rodina 6-3, 6-1.