Romania stuns champion Czech Republic in Fed Cuphome/Sports/Top Sports/Romania stuns champion Czech Republic in Fed CupPARIS: Romania reached the Fed Cup semi-finals for the first time on Sunday (Monday in Manila) with a 3-2 win over defending champions Czech Republic as Irina-Camelia Begu and Monica Niculescu stunned Wimbledon and French Open winners Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova in a marathon doubles decider. Begu and Niculescu triumphed 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 6-4 in a thrilling rubber in Ostrava which lasted just seven minutes short of three hours. The result ended the 10-time champions Czechs’ hopes of making the Fed Cup semi-finals for an 11th successive year and represented their first home defeat in a decade. French Open champion Halep had said that winning a first Fed Cup for Romania was now the top priority on her “bucket list” having finally broken her Grand Slam drought in Paris last year. Romania will now travel to France in April’s semi-finals while the other last-four clash sees Belarus up against Australia.

Source: Manila Times February 11, 2019 16:56 UTC