Czechs lead France 2-0 in Fed Cup semi-finals

Lucie Safarova and Petra Kvitova gave holders the Czech Republic a 2-0 lead over France in the Fed Cup semi-finals after the opening rubbers on Saturday.

On the hardcourt of the CEZ Arena in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava, world number 13 and Czech number two Safarova took an hour and 58 minutes to beat 29th-ranked Caroline Garcia 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-1.

World number four Kvitova then saw off 58th-ranked Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 21 minutes to take the Czechs within a point of the finals.

The two lefties already led the Czechs to Fed Cup titles in 2011, 2012 and 2014 while France are playing their first semi-finals since 2007 after winning their last Fed Cup trophy in 2003.

Safarova and Garcia held serve until the tenth game of the first set when an aggressive, well-serving Garcia broke her rival and closed out the set 6-4.

The second set went exactly the same way but the 21-year-old Garcia squandered five match points against Safarova's serve and the game changed dramatically.

The 28-year-old Safarova took the set in a tie-break after sweeping Garcia 7/1 and never looked back, breezing past the French youngster 6-1 in the third set.

"It was pretty wild, wasn't it?" Safarova beamed after the game.

"Of course I was nervous... but I kept hoping, in tennis it's not over until it's over, you can always come back, so I played more aggressively and hoped it would turn out differently in the end."

Her stunned opponent ended up in tears.

"I think this has never happened to me before," said Garcia.

"If I lost, it's because I made mistakes and I need to improve."

Coming back after a month-long break from the sport, Kvitova, the 2011 and 2014 Wimbledon champion, lacked her usual spirit against the 21-year-old Mladenovic.

But a break in the first set and two in the second were all the 25-year-old Czech needed against an even more lacklustre Mladenovic, preferred by French captain Amelie Mauresmo over the higher-ranked Alize Cornet.

"It was a tough game, I have come back after a longer pause and I didn't know what to expect from myself," said Kvitova.

"I got a boost from the first point won by Lucie, it was a bit easier for me to play."

Mladenovic admitted Kvitova had outplayed her.

"It was small details that made the difference today. I could have done better, especially on the backhand side and she was also more precise," said Mladenovic.

In Sunday's reverse singles, Kvitova is due to face Garcia and Safarova will then take on Mladenovic, but the captains may decide to change the teams.

Czechs Karolina Pliskova and Barbora Strycova were drawn against Alize Cornet and Pauline Parmentier for Sunday's doubles.

The winner of the tie will take on either Russia or Germany in the final.
Source: AFP