Fed Cup Final 2014: Czech Republic vs. Germany Results and Scores
Czech Republic won their third Fed Cup in four years, triumphing 3-1 over Germany in front of a delighted home crowd in Prague.
Wins for Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova gave Czech Republic a 2-0 lead over Germany at the conclusion of the first day of the final; the German pair of Andrea Petkovic and Angelique Kerber were no match for their opponents, unable to pick up a single set between them. And it was left to Kvitova to clinch the title, as she beat Kerber in a thriller to give her nation an insurmountable 3-0 lead.
The German side did recover some pride by winning the doubles match, but that'll take little gloss off the victory for the Czech players, who were dominant during the 2014 edition of the competition and indeed, for the vast majority of the final.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Ahead of the tournament, Petkovic admitted it would a great relief to lift the title, per Matt Cronin of Tennis.com: "I think we are just all very proud to be here in the finals and no matter how it ends we will be very proud of what we have achieved. We will try to win it, and then some craziness will come out, I guess!"
Here's a look at the results of each of the matches played and a rundown of how all the rubbers unfolded.
| 1. | Petra Kvitova | Andrea Petkovic | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 2. | Lucie Safarova | Angelique Kerber | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 3. | Petra Kvitova | Angelique Kerber | 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4 |
| 4. | Lucie Safarova | Andrea Petkovic | N/A |
| 5. | Andrea Hlavackova & Lucie Hradecka | Julia Goerges & Sabine Lisicki | 4-6, 4-6 |
Sunday Recap
After a scintillating display on Day 1 of the final the onus was on Kvitova to get the job done for her country in the day's opening match. And while she eventually emerged victorious over Kerber, it was a sensational match that engrossed the spectators in Prague.
Kvitova took little time to start the celebrations after an absorbing victory, per Live Tennis:
"Still celebrating? Petra Kvitova wins epic match to seal Fed Cup victory for Czech Republic! http://t.co/G8xDTroZUb pic.twitter.com/5MNBBUQ4RX
— Live Tennis (@livetennis) November 9, 2014"
It was Kerber who shone in the early stages of the rubber, putting her Day 1 disappointment behind her with aplomb. The German capitalised on a sloppy start from the Wimbledon champion and raced into a 5-2 lead in the first set. But with ample opportunity to serve out the set, the German faltered, allowing Kvitova to establish a foothold in the set and force a tie-break.
With the momentum and a 13,000-strong crowd pushing her on, the World No. 4 eventually took the tie-break and the first set after a gripping 76 minutes of action. From this point on, Kvitova was expected to see the match out and she took a 3-0 lead at the start of the third set.
But with her country's Fed Cup hopes hanging by a thread, Kerber rallied. She showcased incredible fortitude to come roaring back into contention, going on to win the second set 6-4 and set up an enthralling final set showdown.
And although she raced into a 3-0 lead at the start of the third, the energy exerted by Kerber in that second set fightback seemed to sap her energy. From that point on it was the Czech player who always looked to have the edge on the crucial points and there was great relief in the arena when she served out the match to win 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4 and seal the Fed Cup.
Speaking afterwards, the World No. 4 claimed she'd never experienced anything quite like this before, per FedCup.com:
"It is an emotion I have never had this year. Wimbledon was totally different. I didn't have this emotion, I was playing so well during Wimbledon but here it was really up and down.
That's why it is great to play the Fed Cup Final. It's for your country but always when you are not feeling great and you don't have enough energy, you always find something and I'm not sure where I found it. I am just glad that I found it.
"
Matt Cronin of Tennis.com claimed that the match conjured one of the best atmospheres he's ever seen on a tennis court:
Germany salvaged some pride when they triumphed in the doubles rubber, but all the credit must go to the Czech Republic team and Kvitova in particular, not only for a wonderful tournament, but treating us to one of the finest matches of the season in the competition finale.
Saturday Recap
Day 1 of the Fed Cup was dominated by the Czech Republic, as Kvitova and Safarova made it two wins from two matches in front of a raucous home crowd in Prague. The German pairing of Petkovic and Kerber had no answer to their opponents and face a massive struggle if they're to haul themselves back into the match.
Kvitova got things started for the Czech's with an excellent display, beating World No. 14 Petkovic 6-2, 6-4 in the opening match of the final. Kvitova—who is currently ranked as the fourth best player in the world by the WTA—was far too good for her opponent throughout this one, setting the tone with a blistering performance in the opening set.
From then on, the women's Wimbledon champion never looked like relinquishing control on the game, and she was equally comfortable in the second set of the match, which she won at a canter once again.
Here she is celebrating her victory in the opening rubber with her Czech teammates, per the Fed Cup Twitter account:
After falling a point behind, the onus was on Kerber—the German women's No. 1—to come out and make amends. And up against Safarova, that's initially what looked like was going to happen, as the German broke early and raced into a 4-2 lead. But buoyed by the home crowd, Safarova came surging back into the match, winning four straight games to take the first set 6-4.
Carrying the momentum of that wonderful streak, Safarova always looked the stronger of the two players in the second set of the match, winning it again 6-4 to take the rubber and give her nation an impressive 2-0 lead at the end of the first day.
Naturally, the Czech player was delighted with her efforts, per Tennis.com: "A fantastic victory. It's great to win in such a great atmosphere. It was very close, each point, I concentrated on each point and I believed I was able to break her to come back."
With Kvitova in exceptional form and her nation only needing one point to secure this title for the third time in four years, it's difficult to see quite how Germany will turn this one around. And with the Wimbledon champion going out first on Day 2 of the final, Czech Republic could find themselves sitting pretty with an insurmountable 3-0 lead at the earliest possible opportunity.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
