Kvitova win puts Czech Republic into Fed Cup final

Petra Kvitova put the Czech Republic into a sixth Fed Cup final in eight years following her win against Angelique Kerber on Sunday which eventually led to a 4-1 semi-final victory over Germany. Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion, needed just 58 minutes to power her way to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Kerber and give the Czechs an unassailable 3-1 lead in Stuttgart. After the Czechs had gone 2-0 up on Saturday, Julia Goerges had earlier given hosts Germany a brief life-line by beating Karolina Pliskova before Kvitova's decisive win. "I am very relieved. I was getting nervous before this game," admitted Kvitova. "We had a great position from yesterday, I think Julia played a really good match. "I knew we still needed one point from our last two games and I just did my best." The Czechs will meet France or the USA in the November final. In Sunday's final doubles tie, Barbora Strycova and Katerina Siniakova were declared winners of the dead rubber after Goerges, playing alongside Anna-Lena Groenefeld, retired hurt. After the Czechs won the first set 7-5, it was a bitter end to the day for Goerges. She had pulled the Germans back into the tie with a determined 6-4, 6-2 win over Pliskova. However, in the final singles rubber, Kerber failed to maintain the momentum from Goerges's win. "It will take a while to get over it," admitted Kerber. "We all know that was a great opportunity for us," she added, as the Germans missed out on a first appearance in the Fed Cup final since 2014. The Czechs had won the title three times in a row until the US dethroned them last year.