Taiwan will play in Fed Cup World Group II for the first time next year after they completed a 4-1 victory over Poland in their playoff on Sunday.
With the teams tied at 1-1 after the first two singles rubbers on Saturday in Inowroclaw, Poland, Lee Ya-hsuan and Hsu Ching-wen secured victories over Paula Kania and Magdalena Frech respectively in the reverse singles to secure promotion.
While the hosts were also without world No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska and Magda Linette, who both pulled out with injuries last week, nothing can take away from the achievement of captain Wang Shi-Ting’s young team.
Photo: EPA
However, the day did not start well for Lee, who was broken in her first service game and went to lose the first set against Kania, but she bounced back, saving two match points on her way to a 2-6, 6-3, 9-7 victory in 2 hours, 35 minutes.
Lee saved seven of 13 break points and converted six of 12, winning 109 of the 216 points contested to hand Taiwan a 2-1 lead.
“I was really nervous,” Kania told the Fed Cup Web site. “My opponent, she was playing always very aggressive and I couldn’t really relax in the most important moment, which was my two match points.”
By contrast, world No. 353 Hsu got off to a flying start against Frech, breaking the Polish player twice in the first set and going on to complete a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory in 2 hour, 5 minutes.
The 19-year-old saved four of 10 break points and converted eight of 14, winning 86 of the 161 points contested to give the visitors an unassailable 3-1 lead.
“I’m very happy with the way I played, and how I controlled my nerves and emotions,” Hsu told the Fed Cup Web site.
“I’m also excited because it’s the first time that Taiwan will play in the World Group II,” the teenager said.
Doubles specialists Chan Chin-wei and Chuang Chia-jung then completed a clean sweep by the visitors on Sunday, downing Poland player-captain Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Katarzyna Kawa 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) in 1 hour, 24 minutes.
The Taiwanese duo saved two of four break points and converted four of eight, winning 74 of the 130 points contested.
The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League raised further questions about his future. Arsenal remain perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao. The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round amid reports this week that Alonso had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after the latest
‘HIGH STANDARD’: The Thunder are on track for a Finals-Cup double after they scored 22 three-pointers in equaling the best 25-game start to a season in NBA history The Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday bagged a 16th straight victory, thrashing the Phoenix Suns 138-89 to romp into an NBA Cup semi-final clash with the San Antonio Spurs, who stunned the Los Angeles Lakers 132-119. NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points to lead the reigning NBA champions Thunder, who improved to 24-1 to equal the best 25-game start to a season in league history. They dominated from start to finish to book their place in the final four of the in-season tournament in Las Vegas, where they are tomorrow to take on the Spurs. The New York Knicks and
The Olympic flame for the Milan Cortina Winter Games landed in Rome on Thursday following a handover in Greece. The flame was carried in a small lantern aboard an ITA Airways flight between the Greek and Italian capitals. Tennis player Jasmine Paolini — an Olympic gold medalist — and local organizing committee president Giovanni Malago carried the flame off the plane. “I feel honored. It’s an incredible emotion,” Paolini said in brief remarks before the lantern was driven away toward the presidential palace. A 63-day torch relay covering 12,000km is to start in Rome today and wind its way through all 110 Italian provinces
The Kashima Antlers won a record-extending ninth Japanese title on the final day of the J. League season yesterday, holding their nerve to beat the Yokohama F. Marinos 2-1. Watched by Brazilian legend and former player Zico, the Antlers went into the game at their packed home stadium with a one-point lead over Kashiwa Reysol in the table. A goal in either half from Brazilian striker Leo Ceara put the Antlers in control, but Yokohama struck in the first of five minutes of second-half injury time to set up a nail-biting finale, with Reysol winning their game 1-0. The Antlers saw out the
RSS