By Chris Oddo | Sunday February 10, 2019
A dramatic Fed Cup weekend came to a close with a clamor on Sunday, as the Aussies and Romanians vaulted from dramatic doubles encounters straight into the World Group semi-finals.
Emotions were overflowing in Ostrava as Monica Niculescu and Irina-Camelia Begu scored a dramatic 6-7(2) 6-4 6-4 victory to knock out the defending champions. The Czech Republic attempted to avoid failing to reach the Fed Cup World Group semis for the first time in a decade by throwing the World’s No.1 doubles team of Katerina Siniakova and Barbora Krejcikova for the deciding rubber, but they could not stop the tide from turning after taking the opening set.
The mood of the day had been set earlier by Simona Halep, who is reveling in the international team competition more than ever after achieving her life-long goal of winning a major title last season. Halep knocked off Karolina Pliskova 6-4 5-7 6-4 to improve to 18-5 lifetime in singles at Fed Cup, but Siniakova, the hero of last year’s final, answered the bell by taking out Mihaela Buzarnescu in straights shortly thereafter.
It left the door open for doubles to take center stage, and that it did.
The battle was nip-and-tuck the whole way, with the Czechs coming from a break down to level in the decider before the Romanians mounted a last surge to sweep the final two games.
It led to jubilation from the Romanian side and its merry band of traveling fans, and heartbreak on the opposite side.
But Petr Pala, the Czech Captain who just happens to be the most decorated Fed Cup Captain of all-time, wanted to be sure his gang did not hang their heads.
“We didn’t lose this tie, the Romanians won it,” he said. “Over the past decade, these close ties have gone 90% in our favour; we have to accept this. I’m not disappointed, only for the girls because it’s hard to see how upset they are. But they left everything on the court. As always, they made me proud.”
Aussie Win and Barty Parties
In Asheville, N.C. things played out similarly, with Ash Barty leading the Green and Gold to a 2-1 lead on Sunday when she rolled past Madison Keys in another eye-opening performance for the 22-year-old sensation.
That victory gave the Aussies momentum, but American captain Kathy Rinaldi inserted the ever feisty Danielle Collins to stop it and she accomplished the task with her usual verve, sliding past Daria Gavrilova in three animated sets.
Doubles drama, step right up!
Barty returned to the court, joining Fed Cup debutante Priscilla Hon on the court to face Collins and Nicole Melichar, and Aussie the pair took it in two tight sets to push Barty’s personal winning streak at Fed Cup to 11 while sending the green and gold to the semis for the first time since 2014.
“When you’re playing with Australia written on your back, wearing the green and gold, it’s the best feeling, regardless if you’re home or away,” said Barty, who is so down-to-earth and up for anything it’s a wonder she isn’t slinging coffee at a Melbourne coffee house instead of developing into one of the most undeniable forces in tennis. “These are the moments you remember for the rest of your life. You play a million matches on tour, but the best memories come from these Fed Cup weeks.”
And so the World Group is narrowed down to four in Fed Cup. Throw in France, who rolled past Belgium without much fuss, and daunting Belarus, which steamed past a Germany team without Angelique Kerber and Julia Goerges, 4-0, and you have the makings of another two great weekends for this storied international team tennis competition.
It looks even better than it used to, thanks to the changes to Davis Cup which have rendered that event a shadow of its former self.
France will host Romania and Australia will host Belarus on 20-21 April.