Paris: Germany reached their first Fed Cup final since 1992 on Sunday and will face the Czech Republic, who will be playing in a third title match in four years.
Germany completed a 3-1 victory over Australia in Brisbane while the Czechs, the 2011 and 2012 winners, defeated defending champions Italy 4-0 in Ostrava. The Czech Republic will host the final of the women’s international tennis competition from November 8-9.
Angelique Kerber put Germany into their first final in 22 years — the last time being when Steffi Graf starred in the win over Spain — with a fighting victory over Samantha Stosur.
World number seven Kerber fought back from dropping the opening set to beat former US Open champion Stosur 4-6, 6-0, 6-4 in two hours, 14 minutes to give Germany an unassailable 3-0 lead.
The Australian pair of Casey Dellacqua and Ashleigh Barty prevented a wipe-out when they claimed the “dead” doubles rubber 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 10-2 over Julia Goerges and Anna-Lena Groenefeld.
“It’s a very special moment for me and the whole team,” Kerber said.
“It feels great. I played a good match but it was a tough one because Sam was playing also very tough, and I have never beaten her before.”
Germany celebrated their victory by flying back to Europe in their pyjamas. “We’ll be flying home in pyjamas, that was the deal,” Andrea Petkovic told SID, an AFP subsidiary, after the team had previously said they would don nightwear that had been gifted from the Australian team for the 24-hour flight home via Dubai, if they won.
There was also a practical reason for the unusual dresscode.
After arriving in Germany, Kerber and Petkovic will fly straight to Stuttgart for the WTA claycourt tournament, which starts on Monday, and they will need all the rest they can get for their matches on Tuesday or Wednesday.
But for Australia’s Stosur, “it was overall reasonably disappointing, especially when you don’t get through.”
“I don’t know if I can fight any harder than I did in that match.”
