Saturday 3 November 2012

Czech's Make Good Fed Cup Start


The Czech Republic took a giant step towards successfully retaining the Fed Cup, by winning both singles on the opening day of the 2012 final against Serbia in Prague.

Straight sets victories for Lucie Safarova and Petra Kvitova have moved the reigning champions into a commanding 2-0 lead in this best-of-five two-day title decider in the Czech capital.

Safarova proved too strong for Ana Ivanovic, as she beat the former world No 1 6-4 6-3 in the opening contest at the O2 Arena, before Kvitova enjoyed an even easier win over Jelena Jankovic 6-4 6-1.

Safarova, the world No 17, sealed a straightforward triumph by breaking Ivanovic to love in the ninth game of the second set and admitted she was delighted to start the contest in positive fashion.

She said: "After I lost both matches in the final last year, I desperately wanted to win.

"We were both nervous at the start but I got rid of it and I was improving throughout the match."

The beaten world No 12 made eight double-faults and 32 unforced errors, and she added: "I'm very disappointed. I had plenty of opportunities but I just wasn't executing when it was important. It was very frustrating."

And Kvitova needed just 81 minutes to make it 2-0 against another former world No 1 Jankovic.

From 2-4 down in the opening set, Kvitova reeled off nine straight games before Jankovic stopped the rot at 0-5 in the second.

But by then it was too little, too late for the shell-shocked Serbs, as world No 8 Kvitova coasted across the finishing line with plenty to spare.

A happy Kvitova said: "I was surprised by how I played," as Jankovic suffered her first Fed Cup defeat in two years.

The Czechs are chasing a seventh Fed Cup title while Serbia are contesting their first final.



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