Lob and Smash
Fansided

Czech Republic: Fed Cup Champions Yet Again

By Daniella Silva

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - NOVEMBER 11: Players of Czech Republic team (L-R) Lucie Safarova Barbora Krejcikova team captain Petr Pala Barbora Strycova Katerina Siniakova and Petra Kvitova celebrate with their trophy after winning the Fed Cup final tennis match between Czech Republic and the United States, at O2 Arena on November 11, 2018 in Prague, Czech Republic. (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - NOVEMBER 11: Players of Czech Republic team (L-R) Lucie Safarova Barbora Krejcikova team captain Petr Pala Barbora Strycova Katerina Siniakova and Petra Kvitova celebrate with their trophy after winning the Fed Cup final tennis match between Czech Republic and the United States, at O2 Arena on November 11, 2018 in Prague, Czech Republic. (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

For the fourth time in five years and the sixth time since 2011, the Czech Republic takes home the Fed Cup trophy. Playing at their home arena in Prague, the Czech women dismantled reigning champion, United States, in the final.

For the Fed Cup final, both teams were without some of their top players. Barbora Strycova and Katerina Siniakova played singles for Czech Republic as, world number seven Petra Kvitova and number eight Karolina Pliskova were not available. These were big shoes to fill as both Kvitova and Pliskova were key players in Czech Republic’s two prior victories. Kvitova, in particular, led the team with four singles wins.

On the American side, Alison Riske and Sofia Kenin played the singles. Top American and more established women such as, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, and the Williams sisters did not attend the event.

More from Lob and Smash

Despite the absence of each teams’ top players, the final was electric. Ultimately, the Czech Republic clinched the trophy after winning the first three singles match. This gave them an untouchable 3-0 lead with two matches left.

Even though the final score was lopsided, the matches were feisty and competitive.

In particular, Sofia Kenin who recently turned 20 years old, impressed with her performance. In both her matches, Kenin should tremendous grit and fight as she lost two tightly contested three set singles matches.

Twenty two-year old and world number 31, Katerina Siniakova shined for the Czechs. In the final, Siniakova won both her singles matches including, the tournament clincher over Kenin. She showed great determination and poise under pressure as she took the match 7-5 in the third set to give the Czechs the win.

dark. Next. Simona Halep and Darren Cahill Split

In the end, the Fed Cup once again belongs to the Czech Republic. In the last eight years, they have been utterly dominant in this tournament, taking home the trophy six times. This includes a three-peat between 2014 and 2016. Overall, the Czech Republic has won the Fed Cup 11 times, only trailing the United States who has triumphed 18 times. The Czech ladies will look to keep their winning ways going in 2019 and inch ever closer to the American record.

Home/WTA