Fed Cup Wrap-Up: CZE vs RUS in Final

It was a thrilling weekend of Fed Cup play, with some surprises, some questionable captain's decisions, and some drama, with 3 live 5th rubbers with action from Japan to Canada.

World Group Semifinals

CZE 3 FRA 1: Safarova was chosen to play singles alongside Kvitova and she save match points to hold off Garcia to open the tie.  That turned out to be the high-water mark for the French as Kvitova beat Mladenovic and Garcia in back-to-back matches to clinch the tie and get the Czechs to their 4th final in 5 years.

RUS 3 GER 2: The play of Kuznetsova and Pavlyuchenkova was good then bad but the real player in this tie has to German captain Rittner for playing Goerges and Lisicki on day 1, where they both lost.  Grant it Lisicki probably should have beaten the lower-ranked Pavlyuchenkova, but then on day 2 Kerber and Petkovic dropped a combined 4 games in 2 rubbers to put the tie on level terms.  But the Russians Pavyluchenkova/Vesnina took out Lisicki/Petkovic in straight sets for the Russians in a tie that perhaps the Germans should have won in 3 matches.

2015 Final: Russia at Czech Republic - An potentially intriguing tie, especially if the Russians could play Sharapova and Makarova, although you'd think that's doubtful.

World Group I Playoffs

ITA 3 USA 2: Really a total disaster by the USA, who won a combined 8 games in 3 matches that were not Serena's singles (and including her doubles match with Riske).  And Serena herself was pressed into 2 tiebreaks, and had to save match points to beat Errani.  Errani and Pennetta beat Davis and then McHale in singles, then teamed up to beat Riske/Williams, after Giorgi gave Serena a tough match to open the tie.

NED 4 AUS 1: Stosur couldn't go with an injury prior to the and world no. 86 destroyed Dellacqua and Gajdosova in singles, dropping a total of 9 games against players ranked about 40 spots above her.  Dellacqua did beat Rus and then Gajdosova bageled her, but the world no. 217 came back to clinch the tie 7-5 in the 3rd to get the underdog Dutch into World Group I for the first time since '98.

SUI 3 POL 2: Bacsinszky continued her amazing hot streak, dropping only 5 games in singles against the Radwanska sisters, including only 2 lost against the world no. 9.  It was Hingis, not Oprandi, playing second singles with Bencic missing, and she came within a set of clinching the tie.  But Urszula came back to force a deciding doubles rubber.  The Swiss captain may have gotten a little aggressive to not save Hingis for the doubles but Golubic bailed them out, teaming with Bacsinszky to defeat A.Radwanska/Rosolska 9-7 in the 3rd, sending the Poles to another defeat on home soil.  The Swiss reach the World Group I for the first time since '04.

ROU 3 CAN 2: The homecoming for Bouchard was not good.  The Canadians started strong when 18-yr-old world no. 260 Abanda upset February's hero Begu.  But Bouchard couldn't follow up the victory and she lost back-to-back matches to Dulgheru and Mitu.  Abanda nearly saved the bacon to force a live 5th rubber but Dulgheru came from a set down to clinch and advance Romania to the World Group I for the first since '92 (when there was only one World Group), and this without the services of Halep.

2016 World Group I countries: Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Switzerland

World Group II Playoffs

SRB 4 PAR 1: This was on pace to be the most lopsided of the weekend's ties after Ivanovic and Krunic dropped a combined 6 games on day 1.  But then Jorovic was sent out for singles on day 2 and was beaten by Cepede Royg.  But Gonzalez had no answer for Krunic, winning just 2 games as Serbia certainly showed off their depth return to World Group II after a one year absence.

SVK 4 SWE 0: This did turn out to be the most lopsided after Larsson had to pull out with an injury leaving Celik and Peterson to battle Schmiedlova and Hantuchova.  The result was expected, 3 straight set victories for the host Slovaks.

BLR 3 JPN 2: Azarenka found her form early in the weekend, winning all 4 of her singles sets versus Doi and Nara, but Nara and Morita were able to beat Govortsova and Sasnovich, both in 3 sets to force a deciding doubles match.  But Azarenka/Govortsova defeated Aoyama/Morita in that one and Belarus returns to World Group II for the first time since '12.

ESP 4 ARG 0: Spain got the tie off to bang with 18-yr-old Sorribes Tormo upsetting Ormaechea, who often excels in Fed Cup especially at home, in the one tie Argentina probably absolutely had to have.  Arruabarrena dropped only 1 game versus Irigoyen but got a stiff test from Ormaechea in her attempt to clinch the tie.  But the Spaniard prevailed 9-7 in the 3rd, coming from a set down, to keep Spain in World Group II.

2016 World Group II countries: Australia, Belarus, Canada, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, United States

In Asia/Pacific Zonal Group II India defeated Philippines in the decisive doubles match with doubles world no. 1 Mirza in action.  They return to Group I for the first time since '13.

In Europe/Africa Zonal Group III Wozniacki did her job and got some help from Barbat (who won the second singles in a 3rd set tiebreak) to defeat Greece and earn promotion back to Group II for the first time since '12.  Lithuania also advanced, defeating Moldova in the decisive doubles, to make their relegation in Group III last only one year.