11-time #FedCup champion #CzechRepublic, losing in the first round of the World Group for the first time since 2004, successfully reclaimed their spot in the elite group for next year’s competition with a comfortable 4-0 drubbing over a weakened #Canada side without their top players.
Both teams were unable to field their strongest teams due to a series of schedule clashes — but Czech Republic, without their top-three players, were able to prevail over their lower-ranked opponents without losing a set throughout the entire weekend. #MarketaVondrousova led the way for the home team before #LucieSafarova was able to close out her Fed Cup career with a emotional win in the doubles rubber.
Canada’s highest-ranked player this week was veteran #RebeccaMarino, who was 176th in the rankings entering this weekend. 16-year-old #LeylahFernandez was also handed the chance to make her Fed Cup debut with the absence of top-ranked Bianca Andreescu, the Indian Wells champion who is revealed to have a “small tear” in her shoulder, and Eugenie Bouchard, the former world number five.
Day 1: Czechs dominates the singles
#KarolinaMuchova was playing in her first Fed Cup match, and she dutifully delivered despite being drawn to kick off the proceedings in front of an exuberant home crowd which would undoubtedly provide a newcomer with an unlimited amount of nerves.
After getting pegged back earlier on, Muchova erupted from 3-3 onwards — rattling off nine consecutive games to seal the confidence-boosting 6-3, 6-0 win over Marino to get her nation off to the best possible start.
Vondrousova then looked to extend the lead for her country, although she was faced with an unfamiliar opponent in Fernandez, a 16-year-old youngster who had never really been exposed to the senior circuit. It was a tight first set, but the Czech soon found her footing and navigated her way past the Canadian in straight sets after just an hour and 11 minutes of play.
The Czech lefty fired 14 winners to just 12 unforced errors, winning 83 percent of points behind her first serves to help the Czech Republic open a commanding 2-0 lead.
Day 2: Czech Republic seals the win, Lucie Safarova closes her Fed Cup career
Vondrousova experienced a slight struggle against the hard-hitting Marino in the third rubber and was inches away from being extended into a deciding set but she was able to return from a 2-4 deficit in the second set to claim the 6-3, 6-4 win after just 69 minutes of action.
Once again, Vondrousova was clinical off her first serves and was key to sealing the straightforward win for her country, preventing a humiliating loss as Canada failed to win a set in any of the matches.
Captain Petr Pala decided to give Lucie Safarova a farewell match, and fielded her alongside doubles world number two #BarboraKrejcikova in the dead doubles match. They went up against doubles specialist #GabrielaDabrowski and #SharonFichman and prevailed in a high-quality 7-6, 7-5 clash to put a perfect full stop to the former Roland Garros finalist’s Fed Cup career. Safarova had competed since 2004 and has been a loyal participant of this competition throughout her life.
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