US Open winner Sloane Stephens couldn’t close the bag – the US-American defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6:8 after the lead in the third set. This means that the doubles have to decide on the Fed Cup winner 2017.
Flushing Meetings winner Sloane Stephens has awarded the first match point for the USA in the Fed Cup final against host Belarus in Minsk. The world rankings-13. led in the decisive set against Aliaksandra Sasnovich already with 5:2, lost after 2:21 hours but still with 6:4,1:6,6:8.
The final debutant Belarus was able to equalise 2-2. The decision is made in the final doubles.
Coco Vandeweghe had won the record on Sunday, starting with a 2:1 lead. The US Open semi-finalist defeated Aryna Sabalenka 7:6 (7:5), 6:1. The last triumph of the 17-time Fed Cup winner was 17 years ago.
Vandeweghe had already won her first match against Sasnovich on Saturday (6:4,6:4). After that, the shapely Stephens, who has been waiting for a victory since her triumph in Flushing Meadows in mid-September, surprisingly lost the duel with Sabalenka (3:6,6:3,4:6).
In their final premiere in the competition, which has been held since 1963, the Belarusian women have to forego their top player Viktoria Azarenka. The two-time Australian Open winner is currently unable to leave California due to a continuing custody dispute over her one-year-old son Leo.
Belarus is the first-round opponent and host of the German team in February 2018. The DTB team had lost 4-0 to the USA in Hawaii this season, but then won against the Ukraine in Stuttgart (3-2) in the World Group Relegation.