The Winners:

A week off from the WTA tour meant many players scattered the globe to represent their countries in the Fed Cup. A number of young stars rose to the occasion, scoring big wins on the international group competition’s stage. See how Netherland’s Kiki Bertens, Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, France’s Caroline Garcia and the Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova helped their countries book a spot in the Fed Cup semifinals.

Day 1 Recap | Day 2 Recap

Game, Set, Match: WTA Insider

Game: Ash Barty returns to tennis.

To see the overwhelming response to the news that Ashleigh Barty intends to end her 17-month hiatus and return to tennis is to be reminded of the 19-year-old’s special talent. A three-time major doubles finalist before she was even 18, Barty was still progressing towards a Top 100 breakthrough in singles when she chose to suddenly step away. In an exclusive interview with WTA Insider, the junior Wimbledon champion spoke about being the victim of her own success and the passion that pushed her to pick up a racket again.

Set: Tennis comes to (the other) St. Petersburg.

Things can get a little confusing when your company headquarters share the same name as a new tournament host. St. Petersburg, Russia is the host of a new Premier tournament this week, with a draw that includes Belinda Bencic, Roberta Vinci, Caroline Wozniacki, and Ana Ivanovic. Given the young Russian talent currently in the ranks, having a second tournament in Russia to complement Moscow will pay off down the road.

Match: Bencic and Pliskova play Fed Cup heroes.

When the draw came out it was brutal to see Simona Halep’s Romanian squad draw the defending champion Czech Republic. Angelique Kerber’s Germany had it equally tough, having drawn a Swiss squad led by Bencic, Timea Bacsinszky, and Martina Hingis. Karolina Pliskova played the hero for the Czechs in their 3-2 win over Romania, with Pliskova playing a part in all three points. Similarly, it was Bencic leading the way for Switzerland, earning two singles wins over Andrea Petkovic and Kerber and teaming up with Hingis to beat Petkovic and Anna-Lena Groenefeld. The Czechs and the Swiss will face off in a big semifinal in April.

On the other side of the World Group bracket, Caroline Garcia led the way for France with two singles wins en route to a 4-1 win over Italy. And The Netherlands stunned Russia, with Kiki Bertens and Rachel Hogenkamp teaming up to beat Svetlana Kuznetsova and Ekaterina Makarova to win 3-0.

Upcoming Tournaments:

St Petersburg Ladies Trophy
St. Petersburg, Russia
Premier | $687,900 | Hard, Indoors
Monday, February 8 – Sunday, February 14, 2016

Taiwan Open
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
International | $426,750 | Hard, Outdoors
Monday, February 8 – Sunday, February 14, 2016

Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Premier | $1,734,900 | Hard, Outdoors
Monday, February 15 – Saturday, February 20, 2016

Rio Open
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
International | $226,750 | Clay
Monday, February 15 – Sunday, February 21, 2016

Qatar Total Open
Doha, Qatar
Premier | $2,517,250 | Hard, Outdoors
Sunday, February 21 – Saturday, February 27, 2016

Abierto Mexicano TELCEL
Acapulco, Mexico
International | $226,750 | Hard, Outdoors
Monday, February 22 – Saturday, February 27, 2016

Top 20 Player Schedules:
1. Serena Williams – Dubai, Doha
2. Angelique Kerber – Dubai, Doha
3. Simona Halep – Dubai, Doha
4. Agnieszka Radwanska – Dubai, Doha
5. Garbiñe Muguruza – Dubai, Doha
6. Maria Sharapova – Doha
7. Flavia Pennetta – (retired)
8. Carla Suárez Navarro – Dubai, Doha
9. Petra Kvitova – Doha
10. Lucie Safarova – Dubai, Doha
11. Belinda Bencic – St. Petersburg, Dubai, Doha
12. Venus Williams – Kaohsiung
13. Karolina Pliskova – Doha
14. Victoria Azarenka – Acapulco
15. Timea Bacsinszky – Dubai, Doha
16. Roberta Vinci – St. Petersburg, Dubai, Doha
17. Svetlana Kuznetsova – Dubai, Doha
18. Caroline Wozniacki – St. Petersburg, Dubai, Doha
19. Jelena Jankovic – Dubai, Doha
20. Ana Ivanovic – St. Petersburg, Dubai

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:

Petra Cetkovska (CZE) – February 8, 1985
Casey Dellacqua (AUS) – February 11, 1985
Magda Linette (POL) – February 12, 1992