By Chris Oddo | Sunday February 12, 2017
The three-time defending Fed Cup champions have won five of the last six titles, and they are not showing any signs of slowing down.
Kristina Pliskova hammered Garbine Muguruza and Barbora Strycova followed suit with a straight-sets win over Lara Arruabarrena to give the Czechs an unassailable lead in Ostrava on Sunday, setting up a semifinal with either U.S.A. or Germany.
After splitting two rubbers on Saturday, Pliskova claimed her fifth consecutive victory over the current World No.7. Pliskova was dominant from start to finish, only surrendering a single break, and that came when she already held a 6-2, 5-1 lead.
“I think she doesn’t like a fast game,” said Pliskova of her fellow Top 10 opponent. “I was serving well—you cannot do much when someone is serving well—I think she was struggling with the first serve today and I was pushing up on the second and dictating the game.”
Pliskova won 26 of 39 points against Muguruza’s serve on the day, and broke five times on 12 opportunities to give the Czechs a 2-1 lead.
Barbora Strycova, a veteran of 17 Fed Cup ties, smoothly finished off festivities by easing past Arruabarrena, 6-4, 6-4.
The Spaniards took the doubles point to make the final 3-2.
Swiss, Belarus Reach Semis
Timea Bacsinszky outlasted Kristina Mladenovic in grueling three-setter and Belinda Bencic clinched the tie for Switzerland by defeating Pauline Parmentier, 6-3, 6-4, sending the Swiss through to the World Group semifinals.
Bacsinszky needed three hours and 17 minutes to get past Mladenovic. “I was just telling myself ‘I’m just privileged to play a match like that,’ that’s why I wasn’t really focusing on who is going to win and who is going to lose,” Bacsinszky said. “We both deserved to win this match.”
Their opponent will be Belarus.
Aliaksandra Sasnovic defeated Kiki Bertens in straight sets on Sunday and Aryna Sabalenka defeated Michaella Krajicek to send Belarus through to the World Group semifinals for the first time.