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This weekend the Federation Cup final was played between Czech Republic and Germany.
Czech Republic reached the final defeating Spain 3-2 in the first round and Italy 4-0 in the semifinals.
Germany reached the final defeating Slovakia 3-1 in the first round and Australia 3-1 in the semifinals. This is its first Federation Cup final since 1992.
Petra Kvitova – Andrea Petkovic
Petra Kvitova starts the match serving well but also returning aggressively. This makes Andrea Petkovic force her service and the result is that in the second game she makes two double faults and also for this reason she loses her service game. The German gets into the match and tries to react but the Czech keeps on being aggressive and in the sixth game breaks her opponent again to go to 5-1. In the seventh game Kvitova serves for the set but also because of two double faults she loses her service game. In the eighth game Kvitova manages to break her opponent again winning the first set 6-2.
In the second set Andrea Petkovic tries to be more aggressive and in the first game breaks Petra Kvitova but gets broken back in the second game. The match is now balanced and there are no break points until the eighth game, when the Czech has one but the German wins her service game. In the tenth game Petkovic makes a double fault that gives her opponent a break point which is also a match point and Kvitova exploits it winning the second set 6-4 conquering the match and giving Czech Republic a 1-0 lead in the Final.
Lucie Safarova – Angelique Kerber
The beginning of the match is balanced with rallies generally longer compared to the first match. In the third game Angelique Kerber has a total of two break points but Lucie Safarova wins her service game. The Czech make a mistake in the fifth game and the German breaks her opponent. The Czech reacts, continues with her typical offensive game limiting her errors and in the eighth game she breaks her opponent. In the tenth game Kerber offers a break point which is also a set point with a double fault but in that point screams during the rally and the chair umpire awards it as a disturbed point to Safarova, who wins the first set 6-4.
At the start of the second set Angelique Kerber reacts well breaking Lucie Safarova. Once again, the Czech raises the level of her game and in the fourth game breaks the German but in this set she can’t keep that level and in the next game she gets broken back. In the eighth game the German makes some mistakes and lose her service game again. In the ninth game Safarova offers another break point but wins her service game and in the tenth game she breaks the German again winning the second set 6-4 and conquering the match and giving Czech Republic a 2-0 lead in the Final.
Petra Kvitova – Angelique Kerber
Today Petra Kvitova starts well her match again with both her service and her return and in the second game has a total of four break points but Angelique Kerber wins her service game. The German starts returning better and breaks the Czech in the fifth game and again in the seventh game. On 5-2, the Kerber serves for the set, offers a break point, cancels it, has a set point but doesn’t exploit it and at the second break point loses her service game. In the ninth game the Czech offers a break point which is also a set point but wins her service game. In the tenth game the German serves for the set again but loses the service another time to tie the score on 5-5. In the eleventh game Kerber breaks Kvitova again. In the twelfth game Kerber serves for the third time for the set, has a set point but doesn’t exploit it, offers two break points but cancels them, has a second set point but doesn’t exploit it, offers two further break points but cancels them, has a third set point but doesn’t exploit it and at yet another break point loses her service game. They go to the tie-break, where the Czech earns her first mini-break and goes 2-1 but the German takes it back to go 4-4. With a drop shot Kvitova earns two set points and converting the second one wins the tie-break 7-5.
At the start of the second set Angelique Kerber seem to suffer beucase of how she lost the first set and Petra Kvitova breaks her in the first game does it again in the third game. The Czech seems she can dominate the set, instead she loses her service game in the fourth game and also because of two double faults again in the sixth game to tie the score 3-3. The Czech is in one of her blackouts and in the eighth game offers a total of three break but this time she wins her service game. At the end of the ninth game Kvitova gets a massage to her legs because she’s starting cramping but that’s not enough because in the tenth game Kerber breaks her again to win the second set 6-4.
At the beginning of the third set Petra Kvitova looks fatigued and Angelique Kerber breaks her in the second game. The German seems to be able to maintain her lead but this match is really unpredictable. Kvitova suddenly seems revitalized, breaks Kerber in the seventh game and again in the ninth game and then closes the third set 6-4 in the tenth game to win the match and the decisive point to win the Federation Cup for Czech Republic.
Germany is back at the highest levels in the Federation Cup final but in this final the team paid its inexperience. It has several high-level players but no super-champion and this can be a problem in this competition. If any of them will learn from this final this team might be a protagonist in the coming years.
Czech Republic won its third Federation Cup in four years confirmed it’s one of the best teams in the world. It the first day the nerve factor was a key in the important moments and the experience of the Czech players made the difference. The team depends on Kvitova and Safarova’s performance so as long as they can play at a high level they’ll be among the favorites in Federation Cup.
