On Sunday at Prague, the last day of play in the 2012 Fed Cup final, the 2008 French Open champion (and 2011 Bali champ), 24 year old #12 (and former #1) Ana Ivanovic of Serbia (residence: Basel, SUI), defeated the 2012 champion at Montreal, 22 year old #8 (career high: #2) Petra Kvitova from Fulnek, Czech Republic, 6-3, 7-5.     Serbia, playing in their first Fed Cup final, had trailed the 2011 Fed Cup champion Czechs 0-2 after the first day of play. Ana's win kept Serb hopes alive, moving the score to 1-2.     But, in the second match on Sunday at Prague, the 2006 champion at Gold Coast, 25 year old #17 (career high: #17) Lucie Safarova from Brno, Czech Republic, defeated the 2010 champion at Indian Wells, 27 year old #22 (and former #1) Jelena Jankovic, from Belgrade, Serbia, 6-1, 6-1 (photo shown).     Lucie's win clinched the 2012 Fed Cup title for the Czechs, 3-1. The remaining "dead" doubles rubber was not played.     It was an unfortumate weekend for Jelena, who had led the Serbs in the Fed Cup semifinals with wins over Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at Moscow.     Lucie said: "Here at home in this type of crowd, it’s indescribable, it’s an amazing feeling." ITF story

    In the 2013 Fed Cup World Group quarterfinals (teams actually playing for the Fed Cup), February 9-10, Australia will play at Czech Republic, Japan at Russia, USA at Italy, and Slovak Republic at Serbia.

    In the 2013 Fed Cup World Group II (teams playing to get into the 2014 World Group), February 9-10, Germany will play at France, Ukraine at Spain, Belgium at Switzerland, and Sweden at Argentina.

On Sunday at Moscow, Russia, in the fourth "rubber" of the Fed Cup Serbia vs Russia semifinal "tie," the 2010 champion at Indian Wells, 27 year old #18 (and former #1) Jelena Jankovic of Serbia (residence: Dubai, United Arab Emirates), put Serbia into their first ever Fed Cup final by defeating the 2009 French Open and 2004 US Open champion, 26 year old #27 (career high: #2) Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia (residence: Monte Carlo, Monaco), 6-1, 6-4 (photo shown).     Jelena's win gave the Serbs in insurmountable 3-1 lead over Russia in the best of five.     Jelena said: "I have goosebumps right now because it’s so exciting for us. At the end I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, we’re going to get in the Final.’ I was like, ‘Just get the serve in, just play the point!’ I was so happy to win in the end, it wasn’t easy." ITF story     Svetlana said: "Jelena played good today—she didn’t give me much rhythm. I did my best and today wasn’t my day."     In the first match of the day, last year's champion at Bali (and the 2008 French Open champ), 24 year old #15 (and former #1) Ana Ivanovic of Serbia (residence: Basel, SUI), had already done her share by defeating the 2011 (and 2010) Monterrey champion, 20 year old #22 (career high: #13) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova from Moscow, Russia, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3.     Ana said: "I was a little bit tense in the beginning. [Anastasia] was playing well, hardly missing a ball, every shot was a winner, and I didn’t feel like I was doing much wrong. But in the second and third sets I stayed really composed."     After Jelena's win, Russia won the remaining "dead" doubles match, making the final score Serbia 3, Russia 2.

    Meanwhile at Ostrava, Czech Republic, the 2011 Wimbledon champ, 23 year old #3 (career high: #2) Petra Kvitova from Fulnek, Czech Republic, clinched the other place in November's final for the Czechs by defeating the 2010 French Open champ, 31 year old #12 (career high: #4) Francesca Schiavone from Milan, Italy, 6-4, 7-6(1) (photo shown).

    As the Czech's had led 2-0 after Saturday's matches, Petra's win gave Czech Republic the overall victory 3-0.

    Petra said: "It’s an unbelievable feeling. I really wanted to be again in the final. I hope that the public that was here come to support us in the final again. Every Fed Cup I’m playing I’m nervous. Francesca played unbelievable tennis. I’m very happy I won." ITF story

    Francesca said: "When you are so close with the score, you never know. I had a lot of chances. [Petra] played better than me at these moments. She played some good points when I was serving for the set and in the tiebreak. I was close."

    The two remaining "dead rubbers" were split, making the final score Czech Republic 4, Italy 1.

    Serbia will travel to Czech Republic for the Fed Cup final, November 3-4.

    The 2013 Fed Cup World Group (teams actually playing for the Fed Cup) will consist of Czech Republic, Serbia, Russia, Italy, USA, Japan, Slovak Republic, and Australia.

    The 2013 Fed Cup World Group II (teams playing to get into the 2014 World Group) will consist of Germany, Spain, Belgium, Ukraine, France, Switzerland, Sweden, and Argentina.

World Group Playoffs Saturday in Ukraine:
#36 Christina McHale USA d #110 Lesia Tsurenko UKR 6-1, 4-6, 6-3     #9 Serena Williams USA d #171 Elina Svitolina UKR 6-2, 6-1
##9 Serena Williams USA d #110 Lesia Tsurenko UKR 6-3, 6-2     #36 Christina McHale USA d #171 Elina Svitolina UKR 7-5, 6-3
Liezel Huber & Sloane Stephens USA d Lyudmyla Kichenok & Nadiya Kichenok UKR 6-4, 6-1

On Sunday in Stuttgart, in the 1st round of the 2012 Fed Cup, the 2011 Wimbledon champ, 21 year old #2 (career high: #2) Petra Kvitova from Fulnek, Czech Republic, defeated last year's champion at Birmingham and Dallas, 22 year old #14 (career high #14) Sabine Lisicki of Germany (res: Bradenton, Florida), 6(2)-7, 6-4, 6-1 (photo shown).     Petra said: "I had trouble with my return at the beginning, and it was really a long time when I know what I had to do. It was in the middle of the second set, so I’m happy that I got it and I knew how I can return [Sabine's] serve. She played very well, and I’m really happy that we have three points already." ITF story     The win gave the Czechs, the 2011 Fed Cup champions, an insurmountable 3-0 lead over the Germans in the best of 5. The final in Stuttgart: Czech Republic 4, Germany 1.     Meanwhile, in Biella, Italy, the Italians fought off a challenge by Ukraine, led by Lesia Tsurenko. Flavia Pennetta, who did not play singles due to a back injury, came off the bench to play the deciding doubles rubber teamed with Roberta Vinci, and they defeated Olga Savchuk and Tsurenko 7-5, 0-6, 6-1, giving Italy a 3-2 victory over Ukraine.     In Moscow, the Russian team, leading Spain 2-0 after Saturday, was handicapped by the withdrawal of Maria Sharapova due to illness. Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro defeated Nadia Petrova in the first match of the day, but Svetlana Kuznetsova clinched the win for Russia by defeating Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, and Russia defeated Spain 3-2 to advance to April's Fed Cup semifinals.     A similar situation arose in Charleroi, Belgium, where Serbia's Jelena Jankovic was forced to withdraw due to a left leg hematoma. Yanina Wickmayer, who would have played Jankovic, defeated n198 Aleksandra Krunic 6-1, 6-0 to give the Belgians a 2-1 lead, but Bojana Jovanovski evened the score by defeating Kirsten Flipkens 6-2, 6-4. Then Jovanovski and Krunic won the day for Serbia by defeating Wickmayer and Alison Van Uytvanck in the deciding doubles, 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-1. Serbia 3, Belgium 2.

    Serbia will play at Russia in the Fed Cup semifinals on April 21-22. Italy will play at Czech Repbulic in the other semfinal.

    On Sunday in Worcester, Massachusetts, in World Group II play, last year's champion at Toronto and Stanford, 30 year old #12 (and former #1) Serena Williams from Palm Beach Gardens, FL, defeated 25 year old #65 (career high: #49) Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus (resdence: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain), 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 (photo shown; Serena's feet, injured by cut glass in 2010 and an ankle sprain last month, are also shown as she had them taped for play—photo posted by Serena).

    Serena's victory clinched the win for USA over Belarus (playing without Australian Open champion and new WTA #1 Victoria Azarenka due to a low back injury) 3-0. Christina McHale followed up by defeating Darya Kustova 6-0, 6-1, and Venus Williams, in her first action since being sidelined by illness last year, partnered with Liezel Huber, defeated Kustova and Yakimova 6-1, 6-2 in the doubles, making the final score USA 5, Belarus 0. ITF story

    In the World Group playoffs on April 21-22, this weekend's World Group II winners and World Group losers will play: USA at Ukraine, Belgium at Japan, Slovakia at Spain, and Australia at Germany. The winners of those matches in April will be in the World Group next year, and get to play for the Fed Cup, the losers will be in World Group II next year.

    (Feb 4, 2012) Australian Open champion and new WTA #1 Victoria Azarenka has withdrawn from Saturday's World Group II Fed Cup matches versus the United States due to a low back injury. Victoria said: "I had the pain since the Australian Open and was hoping to recover, but did not have enough time with all the flying I did. Unfortunately, it just didn’t happen. It’s disappointing, but health is the most important thing." USTA story

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