Czechs win 6th Fed Cup title in 8 years

Prague, Czech Republic – The Czech Republic beat defending champion United States in the Fed Cup final on Sunday, gifting the country it’s sixth title in eight years.

In a hard-fought match at Prague’s O2 Arena, Kateřina Siniaková saved two match points before defeating Sofia Kenin 7-5, 5-7, 7-5 on Sunday to give the Czechs a 3-0 lead, after Barbora Strýcová and Siniaková had respectively beaten Kenin and Alison Riske on Saturday.

However, Siniaková was the highest ranked at No. 31 in a final marred by the absence of top players. The U.S. were considerably weakened with three players on the team making their Fed Cup debuts after the Williams sisters, Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys, four of the top five U.S. women in the WTA singles rankings, all decided to skip it.

The Czechs thus remain unbeaten on home-ground since 2009, having already been crowned here in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016. It was their first victory over the United States, since the country was created after the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993.

Czechoslovakia won the competition five times in 1975, 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1988.