By Alberto Amalfi | Sunday, February 7, 2016
Belinda Bencic and Martina Hingis beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Andrea Petkovic to clinch Switzerland's 3-2 win over host Germany.
Photo credit: Fed Cup Facebook
A intergenerational partnership with a glorious past and glittering future sent Switzerland into its first Fed Cup semifinal since 1998.
Martina Hingis has mentored teenager Belinda Bencic throughout her pro career.
Today, the 35-year-old Hingis and 18-year-old Bencic joined forces to win the decisive doubles and clinch Switzerland's 3-2 victory over host Germany in Leipzig.
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Down 0-2, Hingis fought off two break points sparking a surge that saw the Swiss pair win 12 of the final 15 games to post a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Andrea Petkovic.
The victory vaults Switzerland into the final four for the first time since a then 17-year-old Hingis and Patty Schnyder led Switzerland to the semifinals with a 4-1 victory over the Czech Republic.
Switzerland will host defending champion Czech Republic, which beat Romania, 3-2, in the April 16-17th semifinals.
"It feels awesome," Hingis said afterward. "Being next to Belinda to play with her now at the deciding point. It was tough in the beginning for me. You're on the bench for first four matches. It took me a little while to get used to it and I felt like I had some great support from her to get me into it."
Bencic, who opened the tie with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Petkovic yesterday, was the most valuable player of the weekend accounting for all three points.
Bencic snapped Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber's eight-match winning streak with a 7-6 (4), 6-3 conquest to stake Switzerland to a 2-1 lead in today's first reverse singles match.
"We aim for (a trip to the final)," Bencic said afterward. "(Martina is) amazing. She can play with anyone. I was happy I could play and be a little bit of support. Obviously, she did all the great volleys and doubles stuff."
German captain Barbara Rittner inserted Annika Beck as a singles starter in place of Petkovic.
Beck answered the call with a 7-5, 6-4 conquest of Timea Bacsinszky — her third win over the Swiss in as many meetings — to level the tie and set the stage for Bencic and Hingis' heroics in the final.
"It was really tough. Timea was playing great tennis," Beck said. "Of course, they were ahead so she had nothing to lose. For me it was important to stay focused, stay aggressive and hold on. ... It wasn't easy for me, but the crowd gave me great support so I was a little big flying on court."
Hall of Famer Hingis, a vocal sideline supporter throughout this weekend, came off the bench for a rousing doubles victory.
It took Hingis a couple of games to find her legs and her timing. Once she did, she dominated the net, poaching and angling off decisive volleys.
"The turning point was when (Belinda) held serve at 3-2," Hingis said. "We were down 30-0 and we started to get together and play together. I think we got better as the match evolved."
A commanding presence in the center of the court, Hingis repeatedly close at net as the Swiss pair won six of the next seven games to snatch the first set.
Groenefeld, who was sometimes a step slow at net, double faulted to donate the break and a 2-1 second-set lead to Switzerland.
Digging in, Hingis withstood a near eight-minute game punctuating a hard-fought hold with a firm "come on!" as the Swiss stretched the lead to 3-1. When Petkovic netted a high backhand volley, Switzerland broke again for 5-2 before sealing an emotional victory.
Swiss captain Heinz Guenthardt said Bencic's win over the Australian Open champion was a pivotal point.
"It was hugely important," Guenthardt said. "So we thought we were in for a chance. We knew she had to play at the top of her game and she did. "We don't have an absolute super star like Serena or Maria Sharapova, but we have a very, very solid team," Guenthardt said. "If anytime someone is not playing well someone else can pick up the slack. Every single singles player we have is good. And we have good doubles as well."
Today, it was all good enough to send Switzerland back to the semifinals for the first time in 18 years.
The Netherlands, which shocked host Russia, 3-1 will travel to France for the other semifinal.
Caroline Garcia defeated Italy's Camila Giorgi, 6-3, 6-4, to seal France's 4-1 victory over visiting Italy in Marseille.
Garcia, who beat Sara Errani, 6-3, 7-5 to level the tie yesterday, accounted for three of France's four points. She partnered Kristina Mladenovic for a 6-0, 6-1 doubles victory in the final match of the day.