On Sunday at Brisbane, in the semifinals of the 2014 Fed Cup World Group competition, this year's finalist at Doha (and the 2013 Linz champion), 26 year old #7 (career high: #5) Angelique Kerber from Kiel, Germany, defeated the 2013 champ at Osaka and Carlsbad (and the 2011 US Open champion), 30 year old #19 (career high: #4) Samantha Stosur from Gold Coast, Australia, 4-6, 6-0, 6-4 (Angelique is shown after match point).     The win put Germany ahead of Australia 3-0 in the best of five, clinching a place for the Germans in November's Fed Cup final.     Angelique said: "It feels very 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. It just means a lot; it’s a special moment for all of us." ITF story     The 4th singles rubber was not played. Australia won the dead doubles rubber, making the final score Germany 3, Australia 1.     Meanwhile, at Ostrava, Czech Republic, the 2013 champion at Tokyo and Dubai (and the 2011 Wimbledon champion), 24 year old #6 (career high: #2) Petra Kvitova from Fulnek, Czech Republic, defeated the 2013 Katowice champion, 31 year old #20 (career high: #13) Roberta Vinci from Taranto, Italy, 6-3, 7-5 (photo shown).     The match win clinched the semifinal victory for the Czechs, 3-0.

    Petra said: "It was a very tough match for me against Roberta, who is a very different player to Camila [Giorgi]. She returned very well and my serve didn't help me as much as yesterday. It was difficult for me but I won the important points." ITF story

    The 4th singles rubber was not played. The Czechs also won the dead doubles rubber, making the final score Czech Republic 4, Italy 0.

    Czech Republic will host Germany for the Fed Cup final, November 8-9. The Czechs were also finalists in 2013; it will be Germany's first Fed Cup final in 22 years.

    In the World Group playoffs on April 19-20, WG R1 losers competed along with World Group II winners. USA lost to France, Slovakia lost at Canada, Russia won at Argentina, and Spain lost at Poland. Winners of the World Group playoffs will play in the World Group in 2015 (actually competing for the Fed Cup); losers will play in World Group II (competing to get into the World Group in 2016).

    USA lost to France in a World Group play-off at Chaifetz Arena, on the campus of Saint Louis University. #17 Sloane Stephens, #42 Madison Keys, #48 Varvara Lepchenko and #59 Christina McHale faced a French team of #21 Alize Cornet, #51 Caroline Garcia, #78 Virginie Razzano and #87 Kristina Mladenovic.

At St. Louis:
n51 Caroline Garcia FRA d n17 Sloane Stephens USA 6-3, 6-2
n42 Madison Keys USA d n21 Alize Cornet FRA 6(4)-7, 7-6(4), 6-3
n17 Sloane Stephens USA d #78 Virginie Razzano FRA 6-2, 6-4
n51 Caroline Garcia FRA d n42 Madison Keys USA 6-4, 6-3
Caroline Garcia & Virginie Razzano d Madison Keys & Sloane Stephens 6-2, 7-5
FRA 3, USA 2

2015 Fed Cup World Group: Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Australia, Russia, France, Canada, Poland.
2015 Fed Cup World Group II: USA, Argentina, Slovakia, Spain, Romania, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland.

On Sunday at Cleveland, in the quarterfinals of the 2014 Fed Cup World Group competition, the 2008 finalist at Antwerp, 26 year old #40 (career high: #35) Karin Knapp from Lutago, Italy, defeated 23 year old #53 (career high: #53) Alison Riske from Hilton Head, South Carolina, 6-3, 7-5 (photo shown).     The match win clinched victory for the Italians over the US in the best of five, 3-0.     Karin said: "I think it means a lot because I think we won against a really tough, tough team... We won here in America. Winning out of home, it's never easy." ITF story     Karin served for the match leading 5-2 in the 2nd set, But Alison broke Karin and won the next two games as well, to even the score at 5-5. Then Karin broke Alison and served out the match.     Alison said: "Obviously, it was a big-pressure match as I was trying to win to keep America alive. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do so. But it was a great experience. I actually felt extremely comfortable out there. I just felt like Knapp played exceptionally well."     In what is now standard Fed Cup procedure when the outcome has already been decided, the 4th singles match was not played. In the "dead" doubles rubber, Americans Madison Keys and Lauren Davis defeated Italians Alice Matteucci & Natassja Burnett 6-2, 6-3, making the final score Italy 3, USA 1.

    The Italians will play at Czech Republic in the Fed Cup semifinals, April 19-20. Rain in Spain stopped play on Sunday, so the Czech-Spanish outcome was decided on Monday.

    Meanwhile, at Bratislava, Slovak Republic, the 2012 Paris Indoor (and 2013 Linz) champion, 26 year old #9 (career high: #5) Angelique Kerber from Kiel, Germany, defeated the 2014 Australian Open finalist (and the 2013 champion at Stanford), 24 year old #13 (career high: #12) Dominika Cibulkova from Bratislava, Slovakia, 6-3, 7-6(5) (photo shown).

    The win clinched victory for Germany over Slovakia, 3-0. The fourth singles was not played, and the Slovaks won the doubles, making the final score Germany 3, Slovak Republic 1.

    Angelique said: "It was tough, so I was just trying to play point-by-point. I think I played well, I moved well, I mixed it up well, sometimes aggressive, sometimes defensive, and I’m so happy that we’re now through." ITF story

    Germany will play Australia in the Fed Cup semifinals, April 19-20. Australia has choice of ground for that semifinal. This is not convenient for the players, many of whom will be entered in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, where main draw play begins on April 21.

    In the World Group playoffs on April 19-20, WG R1 losers will compete along with World Group II winners. USA will host France, Slovakia will play at Canada, Russia will host Argentina, and Spain will host Poland. Winners of the World Group playoffs will play in the World Group in 2015 (actually competing for the Fed Cup); losers will play in World Group II (competing to get into the World Group in 2016).

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