By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday February 8, 2020
Seven countries booked their spots in April's Fed Cup final in Budapest. Find out which nations got through.
Photo Source: Pablo Morano/Getty Images
Day 2 of Fed Cup qualifiers is nearly in the books, with just USA and Latvia left to finish. Here's a breakdown of what happened in the other seven World Group qualifiers..
Highlights:
Aryna Sabalenka and Aliaksandra Sasnovich clinched victory with a dramatic doubles victory over Kiki Bertens and Demi Schuurs.
Ekaterina Alexandrova played hero in Cluj Napoca, Romania. She won both her singles rubbers and Anna Blinkova and Anna Kalinskaya took the doubles.
Naomi Osaka sat out and Carla Suarez Navarro clinched a spot in the finals for Spain over Japan, 3-1.
17-year-old Leylah Annie Fernandez stunned Belinda Bencic but the Swiss clinched victory thanks to Jill Tiechmann.
Elise Mertens defeated Yulia Putintseva and Kirsten Flipkens clinched victory for Belgium.
Slovakia got a big win from Anna Karolina Schmiedlova over Harriet Dart to clinch in Bratislava over Great Britain.
Germany completed its sweep over Brazil in Florianopolis.
*A brief breakdown of the new Fed Cup format:*
This weekend 16 nations will compete for eight spots in April’s 12-team Fed Cup Finals in Budapest, Hungary. The eight winners of this weekend’s qualifier ties will join four teams—Australia, France, Hungary and Czech Republic—in the final at Budapest. Seven ties have already been decided.
At the Final in Budapest, the 12 final participants will be divided into four groups with the winner of each group qualifying for the semis.
Australia and France qualified for the final as last year’s Fed Cup finaliasts, while Hungary qualifies as host nation and the Czech Republic receives the wild card.
For more info on the new Fed Cup format click through here
Here are the matchups that are taking place across three continents this weekend:
USA v Latvia: Not Yet Underway on Day 2, USA Leads 2-0
The Americans sent out Sofia Kenin and Serena Williams (now 14-0 in Fed Cup singles) to deal with Anastasija Sevastova and Jelena Ostapenko. Kenin cruised while Williams needed two tiebreakers to get past Jelena Ostapenko in straights.
Belarus 3, Netherlands 2
Aryna Sabalenka could not get past Kiki Bertens in a critical third rubber, but she paired with Aliaksandra Sasnovich to clinch victory in a deciding doubles rubber for Belarus in the Hague over Bertens and Demi Schuurs.
Russia 3, Romania 2
Ekaterina Alexandrova notched her first two Fed Cup wins, but a pair of Annas--Blinkova and Kalinskaya--were the big heroes in Romania as they clinched victory in the doubles.
Germany 4, Brazil 0
Germany proved to be too much for Brazil on the red clay. They did not drop a single set en route to victory.
Spain 3, Japan 1
Naomi Osaka (who won only three games against Sara Sorribes Tormon on Day 1) sat out Day 2 in Cartagena, Spain, and the Spaniards got a key win from Carla Suarez Navarro in the fourth rubber to clinch the win.
Switzerland 3, Canada 1
Talented 17-year-old Leylah Annie Fernandez stunned Belinda Bencic to keep Canada alive in the tie, but Jill Tiechmann stopped Gabriela Dabrowski to send the Swiss to the finals.
Belgium 3, Kazakhstan 1
Elise Mertens' knocked off Yulia Putintseva and that victory in the third rubber proved critical. Kirsten Flipkens defeated Zarina Diyas to clinch for Belgium on home soil in Kortrijk.
Slovakia 3 Great Britain 1
Life without the warrior Dominika Cibulkova has proven to be manageable for Team Slovakia. They got two wins from World No. 199 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova against Heather Watson and Harriet Dart in Bratislova to reach the finals.