Tennis News

Four countries fight for two spots in the 2017 Fed Cup Final this weekend as Belarus hosts Switzerland, which looks to make its first final in nearly two decades. Half a world away in Florida, the United States finds itself heavily favored against a Czech Republic squad. wtatennis.com previews the semifinals, and all the playoff action as nations look to seal up their positions for 2018.

The #FedCup semifinals are just 2️⃣ days away! Time to get excited! pic.twitter.com/YsLasbpAfb

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 20, 2017

Belarus vs. Switzerland

Venue: Chizhovka Arena, Minsk, Belarus

Surface: Hard, Indoor

A Swiss squad at full strength will take on the Cinderella story of this year’s Fed Cup in Minsk for a place in November’s Fed Cup final.

Belarus, without the services of Victoria Azarenka, pulled off a stunning victory against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals in February, as Aliaksandra Sasnovich and teenager Aryna Sabalenka led the red and green to a 4-1 victory. Those two will be tasked with singles action once again, as Sasnovich is slated to play Viktorija Golubic for the second time in three weeks first up on Saturday, while Sabalenka will face Timea Bacsinszky.

?? Belarus and ?? Switzerland meet in this weekend's semifinal, but who will advance to the #FedCupFinal? pic.twitter.com/Sq10xgC1M5

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 20, 2017

Should the tie come down to the deciding doubles, Olga Govortsova and 2016 Australian Open girls’ champion Vera Lapko have been tabbed to face Martina Hingis and Belinda Bencic. With a victory, Hingis would appear in a Fed Cup Final for the second time in her career, as she played three rubbers in Switzerland’s 3-2 defeat to Spain in 1998.

Thank you @belarustennis for this beautiful evening! #official #evening @FedCup #BLRSUI pic.twitter.com/6nIR3VBG5D

— Swiss Tennis (@swiss_tennis) April 20, 2017

Belarus and Switzerland last faced off in the World Group II Play-offs in 2012, as Bacsinszky won the deciding rubber against Sasnovich in her team’s 4-1 win.

R1: Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) v Viktorija Golubic (SUI)

R2: Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) v Timea Bacsinszky (SUI)

R3: Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) v Timea Bacsinszky (SUI)

R4: Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) v Viktorija Golubic (SUI)

R5: Olga Govortsova/Vera Lapko (BLR) v Belinda Bencic/Martina Hingis (SUI)

Though she’s not on the court for her country in this tie, Azarenka has been present at the Chizhovka Arena during practice in support of the team, and will be on hand for the weekend’s action.

Former #1 in @FedCup team of Belarus @vika7 and acting #1 @_Sasnovich 🙂 Наша гордость – наши спортсменки!#tennisby #FedCup #BLRSUI pic.twitter.com/9BnQeNjMV1

— BY.TENNIS (@belarustennis) April 20, 2017

Happy to see each other again? @BelindaBencic @TimeaOfficial @vika7 @belarustennis @FedCup #BLRSUI pic.twitter.com/bHJSOnJn2X

— Swiss Tennis (@swiss_tennis) April 20, 2017

Czech Republic vs. USA

Venue: Saddlebrook Resort, Florida, USA

Surface: Clay, Outdoor

It’s not often that the Czech Republic and “underdogs” can be used in the same sentence regarding Fed Cup this decade,

While the Czech Republic has won five of the last five six Fed Cups, the team that’ll face the United States in Florida with a trip to a fourth straight final at stake is a young one. Leading the charge for the Czech Republic is World No.38 Katerina Siniakova, joined by Denisa Allertova alongside debutants Kristyna Pliskova and Marketa Vondrousova.

The best nation in #FedCup history takes on the best nation in the last decade when ?? USA and ?? Czech Republic face off in the semifinal! pic.twitter.com/7pTyv70HX5

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 21, 2017

Both Siniakova and Allertova have been named to Czech Fed Cup squads before, while Pliskova and Vondrousova have Fed Cup experience of a different sort. The 17-year-old, who made a stunning run to the title at the Ladies Open Biel Bienne earlier this month, was a member of the team that won the Junior Fed Cup in 2015, while Kristyna called up a team stalwart for a little advice — twin sister and World No.3 Karolina, who’s played in six ties for their country.

“Of course, she told me a lot and I asked a lot of questions,” Kristyna told fedcup.com’s Sandra Harwitt in Florida. “I asked about everything – clothes, the matches, and how is the team.”

For the United States, Australian Open semifinalist Coco Vandeweghe will lead the Americans at home for the second straight tie alongside Shelby Rogers, while World No.1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands will hold down the fort in doubles alongside Lauren Davis for the stars and stripes should the tie feature a live fifth rubber.

How well do the ?? USA #FedCup team know each other?? ? pic.twitter.com/VgEpgCiD3F

— Fed Cup (@FedCup) April 21, 2017

R1: CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) v Marketa Vondrusova (CZE)

R2: Shelby Rogers (USA) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)

R3: CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)

R4: Shelby Rogers (USA) v Marketa Vondrusova (CZE)

R5: Lauren Davis and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) v Denisa Allertova and Kristyna Pliskova (CZE)

In the World Group Play-offs, Angelique Kerber returns to Fed Cup after missing February’s tie against the United States to lead Germany against Ukraine in what could be the most evenly-poised tie of the weekend. Kerber and Julia Goerges have been tabbed in singles against Elina Svitolina and Lesia Tsurenko in Stuttgart in a tie that could come down to the deciding doubles rubber of Laura Siegemund and Carina Witthoeft against Olga Savchuk and Nadiia Kichenok.

Elsewhere, France hosts Spain as Kristina Mladenovic takes her place as France’s No.1 in her top 20 season, while Russia fields three WTA title-winners (Elena Vesnina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Daria Kasatkina) at home against Belgium. Wrapping up the World Group Play-offs, Slovakia and the Netherlands will meet for the second straight year, as the Slovaks will rely on the youth of Jana Cepelova and Rebecca Sramkova in singles play.

Eight countries will also compete in the World Group II Play-offs, as Sara Errani leads a young Italian team against Chinese Taipei; Australia travels to Serbia; Simona Halep and Romania hosts Johanna Konta and Great Britain in an anticipated tie; and Yulia Putintseva and Yaroslava Shvedova look to lead Kazakhstan to uncharted territory for 2018 in Canada.

MIAMI, FL, USA – On this special Dropshot Edition of the podcast, WTA Insider Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen and WTA Web Editor David Kane preview the Miami Open final featuring the hottest player in 2016 in Victoria Azarenka against resurgent Russian veteran Svetlana Kuznetsova. The match starts at 1pm EST on Saturday.

Can Azarenka make history by becoming the first woman since 2005 to complete the Sunshine Double by winning both Indian Wells and Miami? Or will history repeat itself, with Kuznetsova once again stopping a bid for the double by winning Miami. She did it once in 2006. A decade later, she could do it again.

MIAMI, FL, USA – Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova capped off a fairytale reunion on Sunday afternoon with victory over Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova in the final of the Miami Open.

In 2015, Mattek-Sands and Safarova came to the fore as one of the WTA’s outstanding pairs, winning the Australian and French Opens along the way. However, Safarova’s well-documented battle for fitness forced them to park their partnership for the opening months of the new campaign.

It did not take long for the spark between the two to reappear in Miami, a succession of potentially tricky opponents dispatched with increasing authority. In the final they were particularly impressive, breaking their opponents’ intimidating serves five times to round off a 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Having sauntered through the draw without dropping a set, the No.3 seeds appeared on course for another remarkably straightforward victory when they took the first set and opened up a 4-2 advantage in the second. However, they were given a late scare when Babos and Shvedova drew level at 4-4 before eventually getting over the finishing line. 

The result was particularly significant for Mattek-Sands, who, after triumphing in Indian Wells alongside CoCo Vandeweghe,  now joins Martina Hingis and Natasha Zvereva as the third player to win both events in the same year.

Women's doubles champs Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova have a special message for their fans. #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/ZibcZlUNTN

— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) April 3, 2016