USA Survives Latvian Upset Bid In Fed Cup, Serena Loses

by Staff | February 9th, 2020, 7:49 pm
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The full line-up of teams competing at the inaugural Fed Cup Finals in Budapest, Hungary on 14-19 April has been confirmed following the conclusion of the Qualifiers.

Belarus, Belgium, Germany, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and USA will join 2019 finalists France and Australia, wild card Czech Republic and host nation Hungary, bidding to be crowned world champions in Budapest.

USA won a fifth rubber over a tough Latvian team who won both Saturday singles in three set thrillers as Jelena Ostapenko upended Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and then Anastasija Sevastova shocked Serena Williams.


Kenin would return to partner with Bethanie Mattek-Sands to put the USA into the finals with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Ostapenka/Sevastova.

“I was obviously looking forward for the doubles,” said Kenin. “I knew this was a great opportunity to
represent my country, especially with Bethanie. We have great times together, so I knew it was going to be a tough match. But I was ready to fight out there and leave everything out.”

The draw will be made in Budapest on Tuesday, February 11. The 12 nations will compete in four groups of three teams, with the four group winners contesting the semifinals before the final on Sunday, April 19.

Switzerland defeated Canada 3-1. US Open champion Bianca Andreescu did not play singles but appeared in doubles in a loss.

Slovakia also ousted Great Britain.

Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Netherlands and Romania will compete in the playoffs in April against advancing nations from the regional Group I events.

Argentina, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Serbia and Ukraine all booked their place in the Fed Cup playoffs this week while the final two nations will be decided at the re-scheduled Asia/Oceania Group I event, on 3-7 March, in Dubai.

The draw for the Fed Cup playoffs will also take place on Tuesday, February 11. The losing nations from the Fed Cup Qualifiers will each be drawn against an advancing nation from Group I, with 2 spaces for the nations advancing from Asia/Oceania Group I.

FED CUP BY BNP PARIBAS QUALIFIERS RESULTS
USA defeated LATVIA 3-2
Venue: Angel of the Winds Arena, Everett, USA (hard – indoor)
Sofia Kenin (USA) d. Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 62 62
Serena Williams (USA) d. Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 76(4) 76(3)
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) d. Sofia Kenin (USA) 63 26 62
Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) d. Serena Williams (USA) 76(5) 36 63(4)
Sofia Kenin/Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) d. Jelena Ostapenko/Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 64 60

BELARUS defeated NETHERLANDS 3-2
Venue: Sportcampus Zuiderpark, The Hague, NED (clay – indoor)
Kiki Bertens (NED) d. Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) 67(5) 62 61
Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) d. Arantxa Rus (NED) 62 63
Kiki Bertens (NED) d. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 64 64
Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) d. Arantxa Rus (NED) 06 75 62
Aryna Sabalenka/Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) d. Kiki Bertens/Demi Schuurs (NED) 46 63 76(8)

RUSSIA defeated ROMANIA 3-2
Venue: Sala Polivalenta Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, ROU (hard – indoor)
Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) d. Elena Gabriela Ruse (ROU) 61 64
Ana Bogdan (ROU) d. Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) 63 67(5) 61
Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) d. Ana Bogdan (ROU) 75 36 75
Jaqueline Adina Cristian (ROU) d. Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) 75 63
Anna Blinkova/Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) d. Jaqueline Adina Cristian /Elena Gabriela Ruse (ROU) 63 62

GERMANY defeated BRAZIL 4-0
Venue: Costão do Santinho Resort, Florianópolis SC, BRA (clay – outdoor)
Laura Siegemund (GER) d. Teliana Pereira (BRA) 63 63
Tatjana Maria (GER) d. Gabriela Ce (BRA) 63 76(5)
Laura Siegemund (GER) d. Gabriela Ce (BRA) 61 62
Teliana Pereira (BRA) v Tatjana Maria (GER) – not played
Anna-Lena Friedsam/Antonia Lottner (GER) d. Laura Pigossi/Luisa Stefani (BRA) 61 64

SPAIN defeated JAPAN 3-1
Venue: Centro de Tenis La Manga Club, Cartagena, Murcia, ESP (clay – outdoor)
Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) d. Naomi Osaka (JPN) 60 63
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) d. Misaki Doi (JPN) 63 64
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) d. Kurumi Nara (JPN) 61 63
Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) v Misaki Doi (JPN) – not played
Shuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara (JPN) d. Lara Arruabarrena/Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov (ESP) 62 63

SWITZERLAND defeated CANADA 3-1
Venue: Swiss Tennis Arena, Biel, SUI (hard – indoor)
Jil Teichmann (SUI) d. Leylah Annie Fernandez (CAN) 76(4) 64
Belinda Bencic (SUI) d. Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN) 61 62
Leylah Annie Fernandez (CAN) d. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 62 76(3)
Jil Teichmann (SUI) d. Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN) 63 64
Viktorija Golubic/Stefanie Voegele (SUI) v Bianca Andreescu/Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN) – not played

BELGIUM defeated KAZAKHSTAN 3-1
Venue: SC Lange Munte, Kortrijk, BEL (hard – indoor)
Elise Mertens (BEL) d. Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 16 62 61
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) d. Ysaline Bonaventure (BEL) 36 76(2) 62
Elise Mertens (BEL) d. Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 61 76(1)
Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) d. Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 63 64
Kirsten Flipkens/Greet Minnen (BEL) v Anna Danilina/Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) – not played

SLOVAKIA defeated GREAT BRITAIN 3-1
Venue: AXA Arena NTC, Bratislava, SVK (clay – indoor)
Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) d. Heather Watson (GBR) 62 63
Viktoria Kuzmova (SVK) d. Harriet Dart (GBR) 67(3) 63 75
Heather Watson (GBR) d. Rebecca Sramkova (SVK) 60 75
Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) d. Harriet Dart (GBR) 75 63
Viktoria Kuzmova/Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) v Naiktha Bains/Emma Raducanu (GBR) – not played


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