Anna Lena Grönefeld and Tatjana Maria led the weakened German Fed Cup team into the semi-finals. The duo won the deciding doubles in the first-round match in Belarus against Arina Sabalenka and Lidsija Marosawa 6:7 (4:7), 7:5,6:4 and secured the DTB’s surprising triumph in the last year’s final.
The reward for the hard work is a home game in the semi-finals: 21/22. April, Germany will meet the Czech Republic, which defeated Switzerland without any problems. It is still unclear where the game is played.
“That’s why you play tennis. For his country, for such matches,”said Grönefeld:”That’s the best feeling.” And Maria added:”We had a great team this weekend.”
Germany had played in Minsk without the top ten players Angelique Kerber (Kiel) and Julia Görges (Bad Oldesloe). Laura Siegemund (Metzingen), Carina Witthöft (Hamburg) and Andrea Petkovic (Darmstadt) were also not available to the new team boss Jens Gerlach for his debut.
After the four individual matches in Minsk it had been 2:2. Maria had defeated Wera Lapko and won her debutante Antonia Lottner (Düsseldorf) against Alexandra Sasnowitsch. But both Maria and Lottner were defeated by Sabalenka. After 2:30 hours of playing time, the doubles brought the decision for the Germans.
The German team was a clear underdog in the duel in Minsk. The White Russians, who lost last year’s final against the USA, did not ask for their best cast either. For example, the two-time Australian Open winner and former world number one Viktoria Asarenka did not participate. Even Sasnovich, who had fallen ill, was unable to compete on Sunday.