2014 Week-5: Davis Cup and a pair of Russian Champions

2014 February 3 by Andy Taylor

While watching Great Britain destroy Team USA at Petco Park in San Diego over the weekend, the ladies were wrapping up week-five of the season in Thailand and Paris. Next weekend, it’s Fed Cup’s turn…don’t miss Team USA (Alison Riske, Madison Keys, Lauren Davis and Christina McHale) as they take on Team Italy in Cleveland, Ohio.

Paris Indoors

Singles: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova d. Sara Errani 3-6 6-2 6-3
Doubles: Kveta Peschke/Anna-Lena Groenefeld d. Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic 6-7(7) 6-4 10-5

Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova won her 6th WTA singles title with a three-set win over Sara Errani. Now ranked #21 in the world, Anastasia’s hoping to bring the momentum from Paris to Doha for the Qatar Total Open. She won’t be playing Russia’s Fed Cup Tie in Australia this weekend.

Anna-Lena Groenefeld picked up her 14th career WTA Doubles title with partner Kveta Peschke (Kveta’s 26th title). Groenefeld hopes to help deliver Germany into its first Fed Cup World Group Semifinal since 1995 when she and her teammates head to the Slovak Republic this weekend.

Pattaya Open

Singles: Ekaterina Makarova d. Karolina Pliskova 6-3 7-6(7)
Doubles: Shuai Peng/Shuai Zhang d. Alla Kudryavtseva/Anastasia Rodionova 3-6 7-6(5) 10-6

Ekaterina Makarova won her 2nd career WTA singles title over 21-year-old Czech upstart Karolina Pliskova…neither will be playing Fed Cup this weekend. Pliskova’s earned entry into the main draw of the Qatar Total Open, starting Monday the 10th.

China’s Shuai Peng captured her 13th WTA doubles title with partner Shuai Zheng (her second title). The two will head to Kazakhstan this week for Fed Cup Group I round-robin play, with hopes of advancing China into the World Group II Playoffs this April.