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.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – WTA Doubles Co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza maintained their perfect start to 2016 – and their still-unbroken winning-streak – in the final of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, winning their 40th straight match over Vera Dushevina and Barbora Krejcikova, 6-3, 6-1.

Dropping just one set through four more victories in Russia, “SanTina” are now within striking distance of surpassing the longest winning streak since 1990, when Jana Novotna and Helena Sukova won 44 in a row; the reigning Wimbledon, US Open, and Australian Open champions still have a way to go to break the ultimate record of 109 – held by Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver in 1983.

“We’re obviously very happy to win another title but now that we’re coming closer and closer to the next target of 44, we can’t help but think about,” Mirza said after the final. 

“But it’s not something we really want to think about; we’re really excited ot be at 40! We didn’t think in our wildest dreams that this was going to happen. I think I can speak on behalf of both of us that we’re going to play every match on merit and try to get to 44.”

Hingis and Mirza were the talk of the pressroom during their week in St. Petersburg, and though they’re trying not to look too far ahead, Mirza hopes to be back next year to defend their title.

“I definitely think it’s an amazing tournament, and I feel the hospitality made it so comfortable. I also think you should give them especially because it’s the first year of the tournament, and to put up such a tournament any year is never easy, so I’d love to come back.”

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan – Taiwan Open top seed Venus Williams survived a topsy-turvy opening set against the always-dangerous Misaki Doi to defeat the Japanesewoman, 6-4, 6-2, to win her 49th career title.

“I’ve had so much success in Asia,” Williams said after the match, having won her last two titles at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open and the Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai. “I feel like it’s very lucky to play here.”

The American appeared to have things under control from the outset, but Doi, who held a match point against eventual Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in their Melbourne first round, rebounded in style to win four straight games and lead Williams by a break.

“My opponent was incredible today. I was leading in the first set and then suddenly she was leading!”

That proved to be the last major momentum swing, however, as the former No.1 swept the final three games to take the first set and drop just two more to win the final in just under 90 minutes.

“It’s fun to win a final that was such a challenge, and I appreciated her game.”

Williams didn’t lose a set through five matches in Kaohsiung, and will hold on to her current ranking of No.11 by virtue of winning the title. A fan favorite in Taiwan, she was happy to be celebrating Valentine’s Day at a tournament where she could truly feel the love.

“Of course, I celebrated Valentine’s Day with a win; that’s the best way! I made so many wonderful moments and memories that I’ll be bringing a lot of love back with me to the States.

“The last five days were so exciting, just to feel the enthusiasm and to play great tennis every day. It was perfect week for me and the tournament did an amazing job with everything; the players and fans felt so welcome, so it was perfect.”

Doi had come into the match hoping to win her second career titles – having won her first last fall at the BGL BNP Luxembourg Open – but nonetheless finds herself just outside the Top 50 thanks to her run in Taiwan.

In doubles, hometown favorites Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching won their first title of 2016, defeating Japanese duo Eri Hozumi and Miyu Kato, 6-4, 6-3. The Chan sisters roared into the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global last year as Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza’s closest competitors, and remain the last team to defeat Santina, who currently ride a 40-match winning streak – the longest since 1990 (Jana Novotna, Helena Sukova).

More to come…

Top seed at the St. Petersburg ladies Trophy, Belinda Bencic not only walked away with the runner-up trophy to 2015 US Open finalist Roberta Vinci, but the Swiss star became the 116th player in WTA history to make her Top 10 debut.

With her semifinal win over former junior rival and fellow ranking mover Daria Kasatkina, Bencic moved up to No.9 in the world less than three years after capturing back-to-back junior Grand Slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon, and a little over two years after her WTA-level breakthrough at the 2014 US Open, where she upset former No.1 Jelena Jankovic to reach the quarterfinals.

With six different players made their Top 10 debut in 2015, Bencic is the first to do so this year, and the youngest by four years to join a club where the average age is 26.7.

Bencic is also the fifth Swiss woman to earn a Top 10 WTA Ranking, joining Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere, Martina Hingis, Patty Schnyder, and Timea Bacsinszky – who entered the Top 10 last fall. While Maleeva-Fragniere cracked the Top 10 in May 1984 while representing Bulgaria; she later changed nationalities in 1990 when she was also ranked in the Top 10.

In the last 20 years, 10 players have made their Top 10 debut before their 19th birthday:

Who else made great strides last week in St. Petersburg and Kaohsiung?

Daria Kasatkina (+18, No.63 to No.45): Despite losing to Bencic in the semifinals, the 2014 French Open junior champion continues her stellar start 2016, taking out Kirsten Flipkens and Dominika Cibulkova to break the Top 50 for the first time in her young career.

Hsieh Su-Wei (+16, No.81 to No.65): The two-time doubles Grand Slam champion and former World No.23 in singles had an impressive week at the Taiwan Open, reaching the semifinals and losing to eventual champion Misaki Doi.

Laura Siegemund (+10, No.87 to No.77): Out to prove her run to the third round of the Australian Open was no fluke, the German veterean pulled off a dramatic upset over Kristina Mladenovic to reach the round of 16 in St. Petersburg as a lucky loser.

Misaki Doi (+9, No. 61 to No.52): The woman that nearly derailed eventual Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in the first round, Doi reached the final in Taiwan, pushing Venus Williams in a hard-fought opening set en route to a career-high ranking.

Anastasija Sevastova (+8, No.103 to No.95): The comeback continues for the former World No.36, who returned to tennis at the start of 2015 after nearly two years away; Sevastova returns to the Top 100 for the first time since January of 2012.