tennis
Billie Jean King Cup: German team reaches final round
The German tennis team celebrates after defeating Brazil at the Billie Jean King Cup. photo
© Andre Penner/AP
Laura Siegemund leads the German tennis women to victory in the qualifying round against Brazil. The 36-year-old also wins her second singles match and scores the decisive point.
The German tennis players have reached the final round Billie Jean King Cup achieved.
Laura Siegemund scored the decisive third point for Germany in the duel with hosts Brazil with a 6:1, 2:6, 6:3 win in the fourth singles match against Carolina Alves. The final round of the traditional national competition will take place in Seville in November. Brazil has to play in playoffs against relegation from the World Group.
“It was an absolute cauldron with Laura,” said team captain Rainer Schüttler about the atmosphere in the 10,000-seat Arena Ginásio Ibirapuera: “In the third set she was mentally strong and won the match, which we really deserved after this week have.” After 2:36 hours, the 36-year-old Siegemund converted her first match point and caused great celebration in the German team.
In the third singles, Anna-Lena Friedsam (30) was beaten by top player Beatriz Haddad Maia 7:5, 0:6, 1:6, which meant that Brazil temporarily reduced the duel on clay to 1:2. Siegmund and Tatjana Maria had already given the German Tennis Association (DTB) team a 2-0 lead on Friday. Siegemund (36) won surprisingly clearly against Haddad Maia 6:4, 6:2, Maria (36) then defeated Laura Pigossi 2:6, 6:4, 6:4.
Friedsam was subsequently nominated by team boss Rainer Schüttler for the third individual instead of Maria. She didn’t let herself be unsettled by a 0-4 deficit in the first set and fought back. But from the second round onwards, the world number 13 had. Haddad Maia everything under control.
The victories of Siegemund and Maria also confirmed team boss Schüttler, who had decided against the former world number one Angelique Kerber’s individual appearance. The 36-year-old traveled to Brazil later and needed a little more time to adapt to the time change and the climate. The three-time Grand Slam tournament winner will start at the WTA tournament in Stuttgart immediately after returning to Germany.
Germany had already reached the final round of the Billie Jean King Cup last year by beating Brazil. In the country comparison against the South American country, Germany is now 6-0.