Fed Cup: Angelique Kerber loses – DTB team fails in semi-final

The Stuttgart miracle did not happen – the German Fed Cup team missed out on the final by losing 3-1. Angelique Kerber lost clearly with 2:6, 2:6 against Petra Kvitova, who gave her team the decisive third point. On Sunday morning, Julia Görges raised her hopes once again when she repaid her clear defeat against Kvitova the day before and defeated Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-2. Germany had won the title twice so far (in 1987 and 1992) and lost the final against the Czech team in 2014.

By Ulrike Weinrich in Stuttgart

Kerber had entered the Porsche Arena to thunderous applause. After the success and the gala of Görges it was noticeable that the spectators believed a little more in the turnaround. But two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova confirmed her strong form from the previous day. On Saturday she had hardly given Görges a chance at 6:3, 6:2.

And also on the second day Kvitova showed why she has already won two tournaments this season. Above all, she could rely on her service in the left-handed duel. After an early 2-0 break, she immediately took the re-break, but immediately afterwards Kerber lost the serve again.

The Kieler had been training on the Centre Court on Sunday morning. In addition to Fed Cup team boss Jens Gerlach, her coach Wim Fissette was also on the pitch. But especially Kerbers second serve attacked the 1.82 meter tall Czech again and again. Angie” could fend off Kvitova’s first set point with an ace. But with two double mistakes (a total of five in the first run) she levelled her opponent’s set after exactly half an hour.

Gerlach talked into changing to Kerber, who had lost 5:7, 3:6 against Pliskova the day before. But even at the continuation not much changed. The two-time Grand Slam winner lacked the means to seriously endanger Kvitova this time.

When Czech Kerber broke again and took a 5-2 lead shortly afterwards, the preliminary decision had long since been made. Even the recording of Kerbers favourite song “Atemlos” by the hall control room did not help any more. In their eleventh duel with Kvitova, “Angie” suffered their sixth defeat. And in the first round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Tuesday, of all times, the two exceptional players will be compared again. Not good conditions for the Stuttgart winner of 2015 and 2016.

Sunday had started well. At dinner the evening before, Görges had announced to her teammates: “I’m going out there to win.” And in an aggressive way. “I didn’t want to go there and just manage the balls.”

And Görges presented himself as transformed compared to his defeat against Kvitova. The 29-year-old began highly concentrated and did not let herself be unnerved by the cannon-like impacts of the 1.86-meter tall Pliskova. Görges and the 2016 US Open finalist had formed a world-class double for some time before both decided to focus on their individual careers. Together they even qualified for the WTA final of the top eight double teams in Singapore two years ago.

However, the two friends did not give each other anything on Sunday. Above all, Görges showed enormous stability in her service and put Pliskova under pressure early on. Things had been different the day before. The Auckland winner used her second break point right away and was leading 3-1, as she did against Kvitova on Saturday.

But this time “Jule” didn’t lose the thread and seemed to really suck up the cheering of the fans in the arena which was sold out with 4500 spectators. “It was an incredible atmosphere. It only works that way, you have to take people with you and go beyond the borders so that you can be carried on this cloud,” said Görges. Again and again she showed the winner’s fist after successful actions. And there were many of these. A forehand error by Pliskova brought Görges the first set ball. With a backhand winner, the opening round took place after 27 minutes – and showed emotions.

The hall was upside down. In the first set, the German made the point in 88 percent of the cases when the first serve came. Görges gave her opponent another low blow when she took the service off her again immediately afterwards. She then transported this break to the end – and even added to it. With an own 5:2 lead, the preliminary decision had been made. Not least because she returned outstandingly throughout the match. With the eighth ace, the 29-year-old finished her gala performance after only 55 minutes. It was the first success of the 2011 Stuttgart winner against Pliskova in the third comparison.

Gerlach, too, had believed in the miracle after the completely messed up first day. “Now they say: Get up, fix the crown, continue,” said the native of Stuttgart on Saturday evening. It was the first semi-final home game for the German team since 1994, and the ten-time Fed Cup Champion Czech Republic had won the title five times in the past seven years alone.