After the opening day that ended in a tie between the two teams, Switzerland went onto win on Sunday after a fantastic performance by Belinda Bencic and of course with the help of Martina Hingis in doubles.

Belinda Bencic Upsets Kerber To Silence Leipzig

Belinda Bencic versus Angelique Kerber was probably the most anticipated match of the tie. Kerber had just won her first Grand Slam title in Melbourne and would return in action in front of the home crowd this weekend as the last German since Steffi Graf to win a Grand Slam, while Bencic has a  positive head-to-head with Keber and seemed hyped to fight for her team. It was a really high quality match from both players who fought a lot out there.

Kerber was the one to race in a 4-1 lead in the start, not letting the Swiss, who looked lost, play her game. However, it was then when the 18-year-old stepped up and started serving and returning better, combining her solid defensive and offensive abilities with a great result. Like this, Bencic tied it and then the players would push the set into a tiebreak. The Swiss played an incredible tiebreak hitting some awesome shots, while proving that she was more explosive at the time.

The second set was more of the same story with Bencic being solid behind her first serve, murdering every ball after it, while the games on Kerber's serve were marathons. Sooner or later, the Swiss found the break and like that, she went on to seal the match for her 11th top 10 win only at 18 years old. It was an incredible match from the 18-year-old, who completely silenced Lipezig and the German fans, who most probably were waiting their new number two to end this easily.

Belinda Bencic after beating Angelique Kerber to make Switzerland lead 2-1. Source:Getty Images/Dennis Grombkowski
Belinda Bencic after beating Angelique Kerber to make Switzerland lead 2-1. Source:Getty Images/Dennis Grombkowski

Annika Beck Beats Timea Bacsinszky To Make the Tie 2-2

Before the second tie we had a nomination change, which saw Annika Beck playing instead of Andrea Petkovic for Germany. Beck seemed to be a logical choice by the German team as she had beaten Bacsinszky earlier at the Australian Open easily en route to the second week. From the other side, Bacsinszky had the chance to close the tie attempting to win just her second match in 2016. 

The match was a marathon. Every game was extremely long as almost every one went to deuce and had huge rallies. The match started really competitive with the players getting involved in really entertaining rallies. However, Bacsinzsky was the one who was chasing the score and in the end she has a physical "break" which Beck exploited to close the set out 7-5.

In the second, Beck was still really patient and her defense was working well. Bacsinszky was the one who was trying new things, some times with net approaches as well, but most of the time she fell victim to them as she produced errors. Like this, Beck would edge her in the second set in a match in which the better athlete physically, Beck, was the one to prevail. Beck would now force the tie into a deciding doubles rubber after beating Bacsinszky for second time in the year and continued the latter's bad start in 2016.

Annika Beck being ecstatic after beating Bacsinzsky to keep Germany alive in front of home crowd. Source:Getty Images/Dennis Grombkowski
Annika Beck was ecstatic after beating Bacsinzsky to keep Germany alive in front of home crowd. Source:Getty Images/Dennis Grombkowski

Bencic and Hingis Race Through The Decider, Switzerland in the semis

With Germany changing Kerber with Groenefeld, the interesting decider was between the German team of Petkovic/Groenefeld and  Swiss team of Belinda Bencic and doubles world number one Martina Hingis. The match would start with the Germans taking the lead 3-1 after a great display by Petkovic. However, then the Swiss started serving really well and after getting 2 break,especially one against Groenefeld's weak serve they would emerge to the set 6-3. The Swiss team was really solid especially in the serve and on the net,while they were returning well the weak serves.

Like this,the Swiss would emerge victorious in the second set as well,as the Germans could not find solutions to their great serve and in general tactics. They will eventually get the final set 6-2. Bencic and Hingis proved to be a really solid doubles team,for sure a candidate for a medal in the Olympics. So,Switzerland in the semifinals of the Fed Cup for first time since 1999.

Switzerland will now face last years Champions Czech Republic who won Romania in a thriller as well.

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About the author
Pan Mich
Just an enthusiastic WTA fan from Greece!