Petra Kvitova leads Czechs to Fed Cup title

Prague Petra Kvitova handed the Czech Republic their third Fed Cup title in four years after beating Angelique Kerber in the final on Sunday to give her team an unbeatable lead over GermanyPetra Kvitova of Czech Republic in blue hugs teammate Lucie Safarova after beating Germanys Angelique Kerber in the Fed Cup final in Prague yesterday PicAFP Kvitova the Wimbledon champion and world number four beat 10thranked Kerber in a threeset rollercoaster rubber pitting the teams number one players 76 75 46 64 in two hours and 57 minutesThe Czechs won the tie 31 after Germanys Julia Goerges and Sabine Lisicki beat a reunited Czech pair of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 64 63 in Sundays dead doubles rubber Spearheaded by Kvitova the Czechs already won the cup in 2011 and 2012 following five titles earned by the former Czechoslovakia in 19751988Germany with Steffi Graf in the team last won the Fed Cup in 1992 Angie played so well and Im just glad that I did it it was really about one point and then she could take it said a jubilant Kvitova who had beaten Germanys number two Andrea Petkovic 62 64 on SaturdayIt was really up and down from the beginning of the match and there was always a big fight for every single point added the 24yearold who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014 I had cramps at the end of the second set doctors gave me a lot of magnesium I was lucky in the end maybeKerber had to shake off Saturdays 64 64 defeat at the hands of Czech number two Lucie Safarova I gave everything I had today and in the end Petra was better I think she deserved to win but we both played at a really high level said the 26yearold German It was for sure one of the best matches this year for meThe first set turned into a 76minute thriller with both lefthanders at their most aggressive on the superfast hardcourt of Pragues O2 Arena packed with 13000 fans Kvitova squandered four break points while Kerber needed a single one to break her in the fifth game before doing it again for a 52 leadBut Kvitova showed why Czech fans and media call her Lioness and broke her rival back twice to come level at 55 Kerber went on an attacking spree to earn another break and grab a 65 lead before the drama peaked in game 12 Kerber had five set points in that game but Kvitova managed to tame her before converting her fifth break point of the game to take the set to a tiebreakThe Czech star rallied to a 41 lead allowed Kerber to come level but finally took the tiebreak 75 with a roaring forehand down the line Kvitova had 31 winners but 30 unforced errors in that set against 12 winners and 16 unforced errors for KerberThe crestfallen Kerber lost momentum early into the second set and let Kvitova take a 30 lead after winning the first two games to love But she was quick to recover as she broke Kvitovas serve twice to make it 33Combining ferocious shots with slices and stop volleys Kerber and Kvitova held onto their serves until Kerber earned two break points at 54 and converted the second one as Kvitova fired wide to take the set after 46 minutesIn high spirits Kerber broke Kvitova early into the third set as the Czech kept piling up unforced errors But Kvitova fought back once again broke Kerbers serve twice and closed the rubber out on her fourth match point as Kerber netted a backhand shotIm very proud of Petra She showed how good she is as a true champion but many respects to Angelique today said Czech captain Petr Pala