Czech Republic win third Fed Cup in a row
The Czech Republic won the Fed Cup for the third time in as many years with a 3-2 victory over France in Strasbourg.
Resuming at 1-1 in the best-of-five tie, France’s world number 23 Caroline Garcia beat world number six Karolina Pliskova 6-3 3-6 6-3.
Barbora Strycova levelled by beating Alize Cornet 6-2 7-6 (7-4), setting up a decisive doubles match.
Pliskova and Strycova beat Garcia and Kiki Mladenovic 7-5 7-5 to wrap up the Czechs’ fifth title in six years.
They have now won the Fed Cup 10 times, five of which were as Czechoslovakia.
The United States are the most successful nation in the competition’s history, winning it 17 times, seven of which were in successive years from 1976-1982
On Saturday, Pliskova beat Mladenovic 6-3 4-6 16-14 in a near-four-hour match, before Garcia saw off Petra Kvitova 7-6 (8-6) 6-3.