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Serbia will meet Czech Republic in the final of the Fed Cup tennis championships after both nations completed semi final victories on Sunday.
Serbia reached their first ever Fed Cup final thanks to the heroics of former world no. 1s Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic.
Ivanovic came back from a set down to beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 and give the Serbs a 2-1 lead. “I didn’t have a great night of sleep last night. I felt a lot of pressure after what happened yesterday,” Ivanovic commented. “I was a little bit tense in the beginning of the match against Anastasia. She was hardly missing a ball and every shot was a winner. I just thought, ‘Just find your rhythm, this set is gone.’
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“Ana did a great job in the second and third set. She was playing better and better,” Pavlyuchenkova told the media later. “In the third set, I still believed I could turn the match around – it was getting closer and closer and I was just fighting for every point, but she managed to close it out, so all credit to her.”
Jankovic completed the win for the Serbs with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Svetlana Kuznetsova. “I have goosebumps because it’s so exciting for us,” Jankovic commented. “We’ve come a long way. I remember those days we would play in the lower groups, so it’s so exciting for us to be in the final and playing for the trophy. I’m very proud of our team and everyone who has helped us.”
In the other semifinal, the Czechs advanced when Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova scoring a 6-4, 7-6(1) win over Francesca Schiavone. “Francesca played unbelievable tennis,” Kvitova commented. “Every Fed Cup I’m playing I’m nervous, so I’m really happy to win today. It’s an unbelievable feeling – I really wanted to be in the final again. The crowd was great, and I hope everyone who came to support us this weekend comes to the final too.”
Kvitova has now won 25 consecutive indoor matches since the start of the 2011 season. Czechs won the tie 4-1 with Sara Errani winning the other reverse singles rubber and the Czechs winning the doubles rubber.
