ITF

08 PROFESSIONAL TENNIS: FED CUP BY BNP PARIBAS Czech Republic took a step closer to matching the all-time dominance of USA in Fed Cup by BNP Paribas after winning its eighth crown – and third in four years – in an engrossing Final in Prague. Only the Americans, 17-time champions, have won the competition on more occasions than Czech Republic. A 3-1 triumph over Germany in front of a 10,500-strong crowd at Prague's O2 Arena saw Petr Pala's team take outright second place ahead of Australia for most Fed Cups won. Petra Kvitova once again made the difference for the hosts in the Final. The two-time Wimbledon champion battled butterflies and her waning reserves to come out on top of one of the most exciting matches of the year in the decisive third rubber. The two-hour-57-minute classic against Angelique Kerber featured so many dizzying twists and turns it's a wonder the Bilovec native kept her balance sufficiently to finish it. Kerber's performance too, was a credit to her nation's efforts in the competition in 2014. Germany's start to the Final, which saw Kerber beaten by Lucie Safarova and Andrea Petkovic overrun by Kvitova, both in straight sets, undermined a breakthrough year for Germany that had seen it defeat both Slovakia and Australia on away soil to reach its first Final in 22 years. Captain Barbara Rittner was a member of the last German team to win Fed Cup back in 1992 and could be proud of her nation's 2014 campaign, which saw it rise to No. 4 in the Fed Cup Nations Ranking for the first time. While the Czechs remain the team to beat in Fed Cup, their 2014 triumph was one of steely resolve throughout. In fact, they may not have featured in the Final at all had Safarova not summoned the energy to take part in their first round tie against Spain in Seville. With Kvitova out injured and Safarova unable to feature in the opening two rubbers due to sickness, the Czech No. 2 was drafted in for the fourth rubber. With the visitors trailing 2-1, Safarova recovered from a set down to defeat Silvia Soler-Espinosa and launch a determined Czech comeback. From that moment on, they proved unstoppable. Meanwhile, Canada and Poland won promotion to the World Group for the first time and took their place in the 2015 draw with fellow promoted nation France, who ensured a return to the top tier of the competition for the first time since 2011. Elsewhere, Netherlands and Romania fought their way into World Group II following success in the play-offs. A total of 375 competitors from 91 countries took part in Fed Cup in 2014 across the World Group, World Group II and three regional zones. Coverage of the Fed Cup was broadcast in over 130 territories by 51 broadcasters, while over 104,000 fans attended ties in 2014. Five players received Fed Cup Heart Awards as Simona Halep, Teliana Pereira, Andrea Petkovic, Agnieszka Radwanska and Sabina Sharipova were rewarded for showing exceptional courage on court and demonstrating outstanding commitment to the team. It was a second Heart Award for Petkovic, who also received one in 2011. Four-time Fed Cup champion Helena Sukova was also recognised, receiving the Fed Cup Award of Excellence from the ITF and The International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum. The competition continued to receive strong support from its title sponsor BNP Paribas and international sponsor Adecco. It was a strong year for the official ITF websites, FedCup.com and FedCup.com/es, which received a 13 per cent increase in traffic compared with 2013. The Fed Cup social media accounts also enjoyed rapid growth, almost doubling in size. FED CUP BY BNP PARIBAS

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