Long before the last point was played in Strasbourg onlookers were wondering if they might be witnessing the greatest Fed Cup final in history. By the time Karolina Pliskova punched away the final volley to clinch the doubles rubber and give the Czech Republic a 3-2 victory over France for their fifth title in six years there seemed little doubt. Barbora Strycova, her partner, called it a fairytale.
The wonder was that Pliskova could summon the energy, having earlier lost in three sets to the world No23, Caroline Garcia, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. That defeat, which left France 2-1 up with two matches left and one win away from a first title since 2003 – came less than 24 hours after the Czech had overcome Kristina Mladenovic 16-14 in the third set of the bruising opening rubber.
That contest, spanning almost four hours, set the tone for a weekend of labyrinthine twists and turns that culminated with Pliskova and Strycova combining to win the decisive doubles point 7-5, 7-5 against Garcia and Mladenovic, the reigning French Open champions.
“It’s a wonderful day,” said the sixth-ranked Pliskova, a finalist at this year’s US Open. “It was not easy. That’s why we are so happy.”
Strycova, who was called up as a last-minute replacement for Petra Kvitova when the former Wimbledon champion, beaten in straight sets by Garcia on the opening day, withdrew with a stress fracture in her foot, contributed richly to the drama. She levelled the tie at two wins apiece with a 6-2, 7-6 victory over Alizé Cornet – herself a substitute for the labouring Mladenovic – and pulled off a stunning stop volley from below net height to secure the crucial break at 5-5 in the second set of the doubles.
“We made all three points, which is something special,” said Strycova afterwards. “It’s a fairytale. The secret was to go out there and fight for every point. We fought until the end.”
Petr Pala has now presided over five victories in the competition, making him the most successful Fed Cup captain in history. “I’m very proud,” said Pala, a former French Open men’s doubles finalist. “It was an unbelievable weekend of tennis. We were a little bit more lucky than the French but they put up a stunning performance.”
Few among the French contingent will have been more disappointed than Garcia. The 23-year-old has often toiled on home ground, not least at Roland Garros, where she has never made it beyond round two. Here, though, she was a revelation, winning both her singles matches and marshalling Mladenovic in magnificent style.
Ultimately, though, it was not quite enough against a country that has now won the Fed Cup title 10 times, five as Czechoslovakia and the five under the inspirational influence of Pala as the Czech Republic.
