- Fed Cup
Safarova seals Fed Cup glory for Czechs
Lucie Safarova spared Petra Kvitova's blushes as she secured Fed Cup glory for Czech Republic with a 3-1 victory over Serbia in Prague.
Safarova, who lost both her matches in last year's final, beat Jelena Jankovic in straight sets to ensure the defending champions retained their crown.
The Czechs would have expected Kvitova to secure the all important third point against Ana Ivanovic after they raced to a 2-0 lead on Saturday, but the world No. 8 slumped to a surprise defeat.
But just as Ivanovic had produced an inspired display to beat Kvitova 6-3 7-5 victory to keep Serbia's hopes alive, Safarova completed a resounding 6-1 6-1 victory to secure a seventh title for the Czechs in the O2 Arena.
"It's fantastic because it happened at home, in Prague, in front of our fans," said Safarova. "It was one of the best games I've played in my career.
The Czech men will be looking to complete a tennis double later this month as they take on Spain in the Davis Cup final.