The women's national tennis team of Belarus prevailed over the Russian team in the battle for reaching the quarterfinals of the World Group of the Federation Cup. The match took place on the Malaya court sports arena Luzhniki in Moscow, its final score - 3: 2 in favor of Belarus.

Second day of confrontation 17 april, opened with a meeting of the first rackets of the teams - 18-year-old Russian Daria Kasatkina (No. 32 of the BTA rating) and the 5th racket of the world, 26-year-old Belarusian Victoria Azarenka.

Kasatkina - Azarenka - 2: 6, 7: 5, 3: 6

Match statistics

First serve hit: 55% (48 out of 52) - 67% (64 out of 91)

First serve win: 62% (28 out of 45) - 61% (39 out of 64)

Second serve win: 35% (13 out of 37) - 41% (13 out of 32)

Aces: 3 — 2

Double errors: 6−12

Points won at the reception: 46% (44 out of 96) - 50% (41 out of 82)

Break point implementation: 45% (5 out of 11) - 80% (8 out of 10)

All points won: 85 — 93

Outputs to the grid: 50% (1 out of 2) - 100% (5 out of 5)

Winners: 21 — 31

Unforced errors: 45 — 32

Duration of the game: 2 hours 14 minutes.

The Belarusian immediately seized the lead (2: 0) and in the first set allowed her opponent to take only two games (though both were “close to zero”). Moreover, in the case of the second lost game, Victoria at the very beginning splashed her emotions, getting involved in an argument with the judge about the ball hit after Kasatkina's serve.

But then Azarenka quickly pulled herself together and without special problems completed the first set in just 24 minutes.

In the second game, despite two lost starting games, Kasatkina imposed a serious struggle on Victoria.

Azarenka became nervous, arguing with the judges, frowning, thrashing her racket on the court, and then also showed an indecent gesture towards the stands.

Kasatkina seized the initiative for a while, acted cold-bloodedly on the back line beyond her years and decently drove her eminent rival.

Opponents took turns coming out ahead, and in the end it almost came to a tie-break. The end of the set was carried out more successfully by the young Russian woman, first taking a point on her serve, and then for the third (!) Time in a set she won a point, taking advantage of a double error on Azarenko's serve - 7: 5 in favor of Kasatkina and a 1: 1 draw in sets.

Azarenka started the decisive set powerfully, winning the first game “under zero”.

But then Kasatkina rested, and the fight for the next point lasted 15 minutes! On "more or less" 9 times the score became equal, four times Azarenka made double mistakes, but still managed to put the squeeze on the Russian woman and win this difficult game.

Probably, this segment became a turning point. After him, the Belarusian won 5 of the next 8 games and brought the meeting to victory. True, the rest of the decisive set was given to her not without nerves. Shouts “out!” Were heard from the stands and from the Russian bench more than once, which unbalanced the Belarusian.

Thus, after three meetings, the Belarusian national team took the lead in the match with Russia - 2: 1. Recall that, 16 april, Belarusian Alexandra Sasnovich lost to Daria Kasatkina, and Victoria Azarenka beat Margarita Gasparyan.

It so happened that the fate of the match was decided in the meeting of the second rackets of the teams - a 21-year-old Russian woman Margarita Gasparyan (No. 47 in the BTA rating) and a 22-year-old Belarusian Alexandra Sasnovich (No. 100)... Previously, the rivals met each other three times at the ITF level, Gasparyan won twice. But this time the Belarusian woman celebrated her success in the hardest fight.

Gasparyan - Sasnovich - 6: 4, 1: 6, 5: 7

Match statistics

First serve hit: 61% (62 out of 101) - 58% (70 out of 120)

First serve win: 60% (37 out of 62) - 67% (47 out of 70)

Second serve win: 44% (17 out of 39) - 52% (26 out of 50)

Aces: 3 — 3

Double errors: 7−5

Points won at the reception: 39% (47 out of 120) - 47% (47 out of 101)

Break points implementation: 25% (3 out of 12) - 42% (5 out of 12)

All points won: 101 — 120

Outputs to the grid: 20% (1 in 5) - 33% (1 in 3)

Winners: 19 — 30

Unforced errors: 53 — 55

Duration of the game: 2 hours 45 minutes.

The Russian woman managed to break away in the score from the very beginning of the first set, and this backlog helped her to win the starting game. The Belarusian woman got close to her opponent several times, but could not overtake her. To a large extent, Alexander Sasnovich was brought down by unforced errors, of which in this segment she had 28 against 17 for the Russian. The first set lasted 65 minutes.

The second batch developed rapidly and in a completely different scenario. The Belarusian literally crushed her opponent, winning five games in a row - 5: 0! Then Gasparyan still managed to play 1 game, but this only slightly delayed the success of the Belarusian, who managed in just 25 minutes. Thus - 1: 1 in sets, and the fate of the meeting, and at the same time, possibly, the tickets to the quarterfinals of the World Group should have been decided in the third game.

The third set began with an energy-consuming game that lasted 8 minutes. On "over-less" the score became equal four times, and as a result, Sasnovich endured her opponent.

In the second game, there was an unpleasant fall for Margarita Gasparyan, who stumbled trying to get the outgoing ball. But the Russian woman, after a short pause, managed not only to continue the game, but also to equalize the score on someone else's serve - 1: 1.

It seemed that the incident with the fall of Gasparyan only mobilized the Russian woman, and at the same time negatively affected the concentration of the Belarusian, which in the third game allowed the opponent to come out ahead - 2: 1.

After that, the tennis players exchanged won games, well, and then Sasnovich took the floor, winning three points in a row - 5: 3.

When the Belarusian had one more step to win the match, Gasparyan first took a game on her serve, then on someone else's - and evened the score (5: 5).

In the next game, the strings on the Belarusian racket broke. But, despite this, after replacing the racket, she managed to win it - 6: 5.

Then Gasparyan's racket broke down. But the situation did not repeat itself, and the replacement of the racket did not help her repeat the trick of the Belarusian. Alexandra Sasnovich did not miss the advantage and completed the set in her favor - 7: 5!

So, the national team of Belarus - for the first time in the eight strongest teams planets, in the quarterfinals of the World Group!

The pair duel remaining in the game program could no longer affect the overall outcome of the match. Russians finished the day Elena Vesnina / Daria Kasatkina and Belarusian Olga Govortsova / Arina Sobolenko... The victory in two sets went to the Russians.

Vesnina / Kasatkina - Govortsova / Sobolenko - 6: 4, 6: 2

Match statistics

First serve hit: 71% (48 out of 67) - 72% (44 out of 61)

First serve win: 60% (29 out of 48) - 61% (27 out of 44)

Second serve win: 77% (14 out of 18) - 35% (5 out of 14)

Aces: 1 — 3

Double errors: 1−3

Break points implementation: 40% (4 out of 10) - 25% (1 out of 4)

All points won: 101 — 120

Outputs to the grid: 20% (1 in 5) - 33% (1 in 3)

Winners: 20 — 18

Unforced errors: 22 — 33

Duration of the game: 1 hour 21 minutes.

The final score of the match Russia - Belarus - 2: 3.

World Group Playoffs team championship World Tennis Federation Cup between the women's national teams of Russia and Belarus, which took place on April 16 and 17, 2016 at the ISA Luzhniki, was the fourth meeting of these teams. The duel score has already become 3: 1 in favor of the Belarusian women, who also defeated the Russian squad in 1995 and 1996.

The last time Belarusian girls lost in FedCup was in February 2014, when they lost to the representatives of the Netherlands.

Match winner, team of Belarus, in next year will play in the elite division of the Federation Cup, and the loser will start 2017 with a meeting in the II World Group.

As you know, in the Federation Cup World Group, unlike the Davis Cup, there are only eight teams, not sixteen. This leads to the fact that many strong teams are eliminated in the first round. Given the presence of very worthy teams in the second group, they are quite comparable in strength. Easily

you can imagine the semifinals Spain - Italy and Romania - Germany, but these teams play only for the right to get into the World Group next season. Of course, the game Russia - Belarus riveted great attention... These teams have met for the fourth time and for the first time since 1997. The draw brought them together for three consecutive rallies within the first group. In the first two cases, the Belarusians have achieved success, in the third - the Russians. Those meetings were attended by Elena Likhovtseva and Evgeniya Manyukova, who on Saturday supported their compatriots at the ISA "Luzhniki".

If the guests had a clear leader, then the Russians had a more even line-up. It is curious that, which played only one match for the national team (he did not decide anything), has already become its first number. It was Daria who had the honor to open the Russia-Belarus meeting. Kasatkina was opposed by the nominally third single skater of the guests - Alexandra Sasnovich. Alexandra ranks 100th in the ranking and is only one position behind Olga Govortsova... It was Sasnovich who played in the quarterfinals against the Canadian national team in February and brought the team all three points, including the decisive one, paired with Govortsova. Daria and Alexandra have already played with each other - in the only meeting the victory was celebrated by the Belarusian, but that match took place quite a long time ago. Kasatkina has taken a huge step forward since then.

Kasatkina coped with the excitement

The beginning of the Moscow match turned out to be equal. Both girls easily took their serve and studied each other's game. Then Daria managed to add and win three

game in a row. The Russian made a lot of doubles, but in the game on the back line she made fewer mistakes and had an advantage. Sasnovich took more risks and made good use of her backhand - seven out of 10 punches fell through to the backhand. At the end of the game, real nerves began. The final two games lasted 19 minutes. Despite the big advantage, after the match Daria said that she almost miraculously took the first set.

In the second set, the picture of the match has changed. Even at the end of the first, Kasatkina softened the game a little and often just waited for her opponent to make mistakes. The trend has moved on to the next game segment. The Russian woman basically just returned the balls and did not try to create something in the attack. Unsurprisingly, she has only five hits right through. Sasnovich hit harder and played the first number with pleasure. She actively used her opponent's soft serve and was able to break three times. At this moment, Daria competently took a break and went to the locker room. Kasatkina said that she almost always does this before the third set, but now it was especially important, since she almost did not succeed.

After a short break, the girls returned to the court, and Daria immediately took two games in a row. Sasnovich could not reach the level that she had in the second set, and began to make mistakes often. Time after time, Alexandra directed the balls for back line... Kasatkina still did not serve very well - the average speed of the second serve in the decisive set was only 111 km / h, but Daria coped with her nerves and played well on the back line, almost eliminating mistakes. Kasatkina's advantage in the third set was overwhelming - 6: 3, 3: 6, 6: 1. “Feelings are superb. I am glad that I was able to bring my team the first, very important point. Of course, at first I was very nervous and in the second set I could not overcome my nerves. And in the third set, I already felt my game and started playing my tennis. Alexandra made an early break in the set, and this, of course, put me down a little, because she served very well today. I started to get a little nervous and ended up losing the set, ”Kasatkina said.

Azarenka confirmed her class

Soon appeared on the court and... “Games for the national team of Belarus are very important for me. I try to play for the team as much as possible. Unfortunately, it does not always work out because of the very tight schedule of tournaments. But this match is extremely important. For the first time, we have the opportunity to get into the World Group, so we will give our best to win. Now I am just entering the clay season, there have been no tournaments yet, so it takes some time to adapt. I hope that I can quickly adapt and play my strength. Last year I played well on clay, I hope that this year I will be able to perform successfully ”, - said the Belarusian on Thursday. If Victoria played the 20th singles match in the tournament, then Margarita was the first. Nevertheless, Gasparyan was not at all worried. Moreover, she even started with a break, but here, rather, it should be noted that Victoria simply did not enter the game. She made four inaccuracies in the starting game, among them two doubles.

Azarenka quickly adjusted the game. She offered her opponent a high pace and placed the balls well in the corners. From time to time Margarita got very beautiful blows with one-handed backhand, but these are episodes. In general, Azarenka served well and had a large advantage on the back line. In the second set, Margarita again started with a break, but this did not affect the course of the match. Victoria attacked a lot and successfully. There were also enough inaccuracies, but for the debut meeting on clay this season the Belarusian showed very good tennis - 6: 2, 6: 3. “For the first match, I think it was a fairly high-quality match, considering also that I had never played with this rival before and adapted quickly enough. At the beginning of the second set, I slowed down a bit, especially my footwork. This affected the score, she took the initiative, improved her serve, so I am glad that I managed to turn the tide of the match at the end and find that aggression and those shots that helped me win the first set, ”said Victoria. Thus, after the first day of the match. The first start on Sunday should be played by the leaders of the national teams - Kasatkina and Azarenka.

In the semifinal match of the Federation Cup, which ended on the court of the Minsk "Chizhovka-Arena", the tennis players of the Belarusian national team beat the Swiss team with a score of 3: 2 and reached the final!

First day. In the first semifinal match between Belarus and Switzerland, Alexandra Sasnovich (96 WTA) and Viktoria Golubich (54 WTA) met at the net. In the three-set dispute, Aleksandra Sasnovich turned out to be more persistent (6: 3, 5: 7, 7: 5).

Arina Sobolenko (125 WTA) and Timea Bachinski (22 WTA) met in the second match. Unfortunately, Arina lost a point to a more experienced opponent. Result - 4: 6, 5: 7.

Thus, the score in the duel between tennis players of Belarus and Switzerland after the first day was 1: 1. But there were three more matches ahead, the outcome of which was impossible to predict!

Second day. Alexandra Sasnovich defeated Timea Bachinski in a tense struggle, she raised the white flag - with a score of 6: 2, 7: 6 (2). Alexandra Sasnovich took the team forward.

But ahead was the match between 19-year-old Arina Sobolenko and Victoria Golubich. And Arina did not disappoint - 6: 3, 2: 6, 6: 4 - this game and this match will stick in the memory of the audience for a long time!

In the final meeting, the result of which no longer mattered, the Belarusian duet Olga Govortsova / Vera Lapko lost to the Swiss pair Martin Hingis / Belinda Bencic - 0:6, 1:6.

The jubilation of the fans and everyone who loves tennis knew no bounds. The sports drama that unfolded on the courts of the Chizhovka Arena could not leave anyone indifferent!

In post-match interviews, the winners talked more than once about how they were helped by the support of the stands, where, by the way, there were Amkodorians.

After the first for the competition, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Belarusian Tennis Federation and the Swiss Tennis Federation.

After the signing ceremony, the chairman of the BTF Alexander Vasilyevich Shakutin told the press service of the AMKODOR holding that eight new tennis centers will appear in Belarus next year, where new victories of Belarusian athletes in international arenas will be forged.

On November 11 and 12, the final of the 2017 Federation Cup will take place, in which teams from Belarus and the United States will take part. In the semifinals, the US team beat the Czech national team (3: 2). The match will take place on Belarusian courts.

For reference. Fed Cup - the largest international team competition v women's tennis... The tournament organizer is International Federation tennis. In the men's tournament, a similar competition is called the Davis Cup.

(Photo used by BelTA and the press service of the AMKODOR holding)

— 6:4, 6:2

Russia and Belarus approached Sunday's matches with an equal score of 1: 1 - Daria Kasatkina and Victoria Azarenko put points in the piggy banks of their national teams. The two leaders of the teams opened the second day of the confrontation in the playoffs of the World Group.

The fifth racket of the world started the meeting with a shock - with a break and his serve taken to zero. Kasatkina was able to quickly recover from the shock and responded with two dry games, but did not have time to completely seize the initiative in the first set. As soon as she relaxed on the serve again, Azarenka pounced on her opponent. The first batch lasted less than half an hour and ended in favor of the Belarusian.

The second set began in a similar scenario. However, Kasatkina had enough strength to work on the reception and on the second attempt to realize a break point in the fourth game thanks to a double mistake.

Immediately, the Russian woman took the lead, and Azarenka lost her nerves. showed an indecent gesture to the noisy audience, bending her arm at the elbow, and swore obscenities.

Daria seized the moment to show the fighting qualities that were lacking in the first set. The game was gradually approaching a tie-break, which was avoided in time. Azarenka started the 12th game uncertainly and finished it with a double mistake for the third time in the game.

Kasatkina had to fight for the second consecutive three-set match in two days. She immediately failed the first game on her serve, but was able to pull herself together in the next rally, which eventually lasted 15 minutes. Three times the Russian woman was one step away from leveling the score in the game, but she did not cope with it. Even many experienced tennis players cannot save the match after such a psychological blow. Although Azarenka completely relaxed on the serve and made eight double faults in only one third set, the Belarusian did not doubt her victory.

“The nicest thing I’ve gotten out of is that I’m not playing my best tennis, but still managed to impose such a struggle on Azarenka, and this gives an incentive to develop further.

At the beginning of the third set, I quickly lost my serve, then there was a protracted game with the score 0: 1, in which several break points were not realized, and she immediately felt confident. I got a little hooked, and that played a role, ”R-Sport quoted after the match.

Arancia Rus could have made history after the game with Garcia, but the fate of the second ticket to the final was also to be decided in a doubles match. The three-set duel was left for the French.

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