U.S. Falls to France in Fed Cup World Group Playoff
The final day of competition in the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Playoff between the U.S. and France at Chaifetz Arena on the campus of Saint Louis University had a dramatic ending, as the tie came down to a fifth-and-decisive doubles match for the ninth time for the U.S. (since the World Group format was instituted in 1995). In the end, France defeated the United States, 3-2, after Caroline Garcia won three points for France this weekend (two singles matches and the doubles match) to launch France into the World Group in 2015.
The U.S. is now 37-6 all-time in Fed Cup ties played at home and holds an overall 134-35 record. The U.S. is 5-4 in the fifth-and-decisive doubles match.
In Sunday’s first match of the day, Sloane Stephens, the top-ranked U.S. player, faced Virginie Razzano, who replaced Alize Cornet in singles after Cornet suffered a leg injury. Stephens won her first-ever Fed Cup singles match, defeating Razzano, 6-2, 6-4, in one hour and seven minutes. Stephens and Razzano had never played each other before this tie. Stephens is now 1-2 in singles play in Fed Cup competition and Razzano is 10-5.
The second singles match featured two promising young players in 19-year-old Madison Keys and 20-year-old Caroline Garcia, where Garcia won her second singles match this weekend, defeating Keys, 6-4, 6-3. Garcia won her first WTA singles title last weekend in Bogota, Colombia, as well as the doubles title. Keys is now 1-2 in Fed Cup singles play.
The tie was then decided by the decisive doubles match, in which the singles players again took to the court when the United States’ top players in Stephens & Keys faced Garcia & Razzano. After just under 90 minutes, the team of Garcia & Razzano prevailed, defeating Stephens & Keys, 6-2, 7-5. After the French swept the first set, 6-2, the U.S. fought back from a 4-1 deficit in the second set to even the match at 5-5 in the second set. However, the French team broke in the next game and took the match.
The U.S. will compete in World Group II in 2015 for just the second time since the World Group format was instituted in 1995 (the U.S. competed in the World Group II in 2012). France will compete in the World Group next year for a chance to win the 2015 Fed Cup.
With the loss, the U.S. will be relegated to the World Group II in 2015 for just the second time since the World Group format was instituted in 1995 (the U.S. competed in the World Group II in 2012).
The U.S. will join seven other countries—Argentina, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Romania, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland—in the World Group II next year.
In other Fed Cup results from this past weekend:
World Group Semifinals
â–ºCzech Republic defeated Italy, 4-0
â–ºGermany defeated Australia, 3-1
World Group Playoffs
â–ºCanada defeated the Slovak Republic, 3-1
â–ºRussia defeated Argentina, 4-0
â–ºPoland defeated Spain, 3-2
