It was good to watch Sharapova get destroyed this afternoon. Hope Li Na does the same to Azarenka after today.
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2013 Tennis Thread
- Thread starter Smallville22
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Azarenka retains title in Melbourne drama
Victoria Azarenka retained her Australian Open title with a tense 4-6 6-4 6-3 victory over China's Li Na in a match that left one player in tears and saw the other writhing in pain.
Azarenka's joy saw her burst into floods of tears after securing a second Grand Slam title, while Li added the pain of failure to the physical pain she endured during the match.
The Chinese star's efforts were undermined by two dramatic incidents: a sickening ankle injury in the second set, and a fall in the final stages which sparked concussion fears as she hit her head on the court as well as twisting her ankle a second time.
Li dominated the first set but Azarenka raced out to a 3-1 lead in the second before Li slipped and twisted her left ankle.
She had it strapped but had problems pivoting and Azarenka won the set 6-4.
The Chinese sixth seed, who won the French Open title in 2011, took a 2-1 lead in the decider before an Australia Day fireworks display delayed play for some 10 minutes. She immediately went over on her ankle again when they returned and hit her head.
A smiling Li returned to court but Azarenka managed to break in the fifth game, then hold serve to jump to a 4-2 lead and she sealed the title, which ensured she retained the world number one ranking, when she broke Li in the ninth game.
Azarenka dropped her racket to the ground and, after shaking hands with Li and the umpire Alison Lang, went tearfully to her players' box where she was embraced by her support staff and friends who included American musician Redfoo.
Perhaps weighed down by expectation from the most populous nation in the world and with an estimated 100 million people watching on television in China, Li had a shaky start, serving a double fault on the first point and having her serve broken.
The world number six, however, bounced straight back to the delight of the overwhelmingly pro-Li crowd in Rod Laver Arena and used her powerful forehand to break Azarenka twice to hold a 3-1 lead.
Azarenka battled back to break to reduce the deficit to 3-2, but was broken again by Li, who was relentlessly attacking the Belarussian's serve.
Azarenka was able to hold for the first time in the eighth game and break in the ninth, but Li broke again on her fourth set point when the Belarussian double faulted to take the first set 6-4.
Azarenka finally found her range with her groundstrokes in the second set and moved a lot better to race out to a 3-0 lead.
Li broke back, but then badly hurt her ankle after she was forced to change direction to try to reach an Azarenka backhand volley.
The Chinese took a medical timeout to have the ankle heavily strapped but held serve on her return and got three break points in the next game as both players tightened up and were seemingly unable to hold serve.
Li was broken again in the ninth game to give Azarenka a 5-4 lead and she served out to love in the next game to send it into a decider when a Li forehand sailed wide.
Both had problems settling again after the interruptions to the third set but Azarenka achieved the crucial break and was able to hold things together long enough to earn her second grand-slam title when a Li forehand sailed long over the baseline.
Victoria Azarenka retained her Australian Open title with a tense 4-6 6-4 6-3 victory over China's Li Na in a match that left one player in tears and saw the other writhing in pain.
Azarenka's joy saw her burst into floods of tears after securing a second Grand Slam title, while Li added the pain of failure to the physical pain she endured during the match.
The Chinese star's efforts were undermined by two dramatic incidents: a sickening ankle injury in the second set, and a fall in the final stages which sparked concussion fears as she hit her head on the court as well as twisting her ankle a second time.
Li dominated the first set but Azarenka raced out to a 3-1 lead in the second before Li slipped and twisted her left ankle.
She had it strapped but had problems pivoting and Azarenka won the set 6-4.
The Chinese sixth seed, who won the French Open title in 2011, took a 2-1 lead in the decider before an Australia Day fireworks display delayed play for some 10 minutes. She immediately went over on her ankle again when they returned and hit her head.
A smiling Li returned to court but Azarenka managed to break in the fifth game, then hold serve to jump to a 4-2 lead and she sealed the title, which ensured she retained the world number one ranking, when she broke Li in the ninth game.
Azarenka dropped her racket to the ground and, after shaking hands with Li and the umpire Alison Lang, went tearfully to her players' box where she was embraced by her support staff and friends who included American musician Redfoo.
Perhaps weighed down by expectation from the most populous nation in the world and with an estimated 100 million people watching on television in China, Li had a shaky start, serving a double fault on the first point and having her serve broken.
The world number six, however, bounced straight back to the delight of the overwhelmingly pro-Li crowd in Rod Laver Arena and used her powerful forehand to break Azarenka twice to hold a 3-1 lead.
Azarenka battled back to break to reduce the deficit to 3-2, but was broken again by Li, who was relentlessly attacking the Belarussian's serve.
Azarenka was able to hold for the first time in the eighth game and break in the ninth, but Li broke again on her fourth set point when the Belarussian double faulted to take the first set 6-4.
Azarenka finally found her range with her groundstrokes in the second set and moved a lot better to race out to a 3-0 lead.
Li broke back, but then badly hurt her ankle after she was forced to change direction to try to reach an Azarenka backhand volley.
The Chinese took a medical timeout to have the ankle heavily strapped but held serve on her return and got three break points in the next game as both players tightened up and were seemingly unable to hold serve.
Li was broken again in the ninth game to give Azarenka a 5-4 lead and she served out to love in the next game to send it into a decider when a Li forehand sailed wide.
Both had problems settling again after the interruptions to the third set but Azarenka achieved the crucial break and was able to hold things together long enough to earn her second grand-slam title when a Li forehand sailed long over the baseline.
Bryan twins break record for grand slam doubles titles
American twins Bob and Mike Bryan became the most successful men's pair in grand-slam history on Saturday when they won their 13th doubles title together at the Australian Open.
The 34-year-olds beat the Dutch pairing of Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling 6-3 6-4 to break the record of 12 grand slams they had shared with Australians John Newcombe and Tony Roche.
"Obviously it feels really good to have that record and to be a part of history feels really special," Mike Bryan said.
"We weren't thinking much about it on court but once we look back on our careers it will be fun to see what we have done. It's a big record."
The left-handed Bob Bryan served out for victory to seal their sixth Australian Open title together.
It was the brothers' 84th career title and their second consecutive grand-slam triumph, after their win at the U.S. Open in September.
American twins Bob and Mike Bryan became the most successful men's pair in grand-slam history on Saturday when they won their 13th doubles title together at the Australian Open.
The 34-year-olds beat the Dutch pairing of Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling 6-3 6-4 to break the record of 12 grand slams they had shared with Australians John Newcombe and Tony Roche.
"Obviously it feels really good to have that record and to be a part of history feels really special," Mike Bryan said.
"We weren't thinking much about it on court but once we look back on our careers it will be fun to see what we have done. It's a big record."
The left-handed Bob Bryan served out for victory to seal their sixth Australian Open title together.
It was the brothers' 84th career title and their second consecutive grand-slam triumph, after their win at the U.S. Open in September.
Kyrgios and Konjuh win junior titles
Australian Nick Kyrgios and Ana Konjuh of Croatia followed in some famous footsteps on Saturday when they were crowned junior champions at the Australian Open.
Krygios fended off another home player, Thanasi Kokkinakis 7-6 6-3 while 15-year-old Konjuh was too good for Czech second seed Katerina Siniakova, taking the girls' title with a 6-3 6-4 victory.
With two Australians in the final for the first time since 1994, the home crowd was guaranteed a double celebration for Australia Day.
Kokkinakis had two set points in the first set but 17-year-old Kyrgios eventually wore him down to claim his first grand slam title, all without losing a set, to become the second straight Australian winner after Luke Saville's triumph last year.
"I'm pretty stoked with the last two weeks I've had, winning the lead-up tournament and now the Australian Open," Kyrgios told reporters. "It's a great start on the year.
"I wasn't actually that nervous knowing he had set points. I thought I played the big points well.
"Full credit to him getting to that position, but I thought I was a bit better on the big points today."
The 16-year-old Kokkinakis suffered a blow on the eve of the match when an MRI scan showed he has a stress fracture in his back.
"I was pretty shattered, to be honest," he said. "I woke up this morning and I was still a little bit annoyed but I thought I'd give it a crack.
"I actually did a little bit better than I thought I would. I didn't think I'd make it through a set. It held up and didn't really get that much worse during the play. But it just hurt when I tried to push off."
Kokkinakis had a similar injury in 2011 and had to stop playing for around six months but said he had still had the best month of his career.
"I had a good match in the Australian Open men's qualifying, which went 17-15 in the third set, the longest tennis match I think I've ever played.
"But to make it through to the final of the junior Australian Open, after my first-ever wins in a junior grand slam was a good feeling for me."
GOOD TACTICS
The girls' final was a repeat of the title showdown at the Orange Bowl event from last December and again it was Konjuh who came out on top.
Watched by her Fed Cup captain Iva Majoli, the 15-year-old came from 4-1 down in the second set to add the singles crown to the doubles title she won on Saturday.
"It feels really great," she said. "I won doubles and singles, in my first time here. Just the feeling is incredible."
"We played twice, so I know her well. I had good tactics and I just used them, I guess."
The victory means Konjuh will become the junior world number one on Monday, but Konjuh said she was already thinking of bigger things.
"I'm going to play (only) the junior grand slams," she said. I am going to play $10,000's, $25,000s and $50,000s because I just want to go now for my WTA ranking."
Konjuh said she was looking forward to playing for Croatia in the Fed Cup alongside 16-year-old Donna Vekic, who played in the main draw in Melbourne.
"It's another great experience," she said. "I'm going to get a chance to play with some pro players. I am just happy to be there."
Second seed Siniakova said she thought she had not done herself justice in her first grand slam final.
"I'm really sad because it wasn't my best game, so I am disappointed," she said. "She played very well but I think I could play better than I did.
"I think it was a little bit mental because we know each other so well. That was probably the main thing."
Australian Nick Kyrgios and Ana Konjuh of Croatia followed in some famous footsteps on Saturday when they were crowned junior champions at the Australian Open.
Krygios fended off another home player, Thanasi Kokkinakis 7-6 6-3 while 15-year-old Konjuh was too good for Czech second seed Katerina Siniakova, taking the girls' title with a 6-3 6-4 victory.
With two Australians in the final for the first time since 1994, the home crowd was guaranteed a double celebration for Australia Day.
Kokkinakis had two set points in the first set but 17-year-old Kyrgios eventually wore him down to claim his first grand slam title, all without losing a set, to become the second straight Australian winner after Luke Saville's triumph last year.
"I'm pretty stoked with the last two weeks I've had, winning the lead-up tournament and now the Australian Open," Kyrgios told reporters. "It's a great start on the year.
"I wasn't actually that nervous knowing he had set points. I thought I played the big points well.
"Full credit to him getting to that position, but I thought I was a bit better on the big points today."
The 16-year-old Kokkinakis suffered a blow on the eve of the match when an MRI scan showed he has a stress fracture in his back.
"I was pretty shattered, to be honest," he said. "I woke up this morning and I was still a little bit annoyed but I thought I'd give it a crack.
"I actually did a little bit better than I thought I would. I didn't think I'd make it through a set. It held up and didn't really get that much worse during the play. But it just hurt when I tried to push off."
Kokkinakis had a similar injury in 2011 and had to stop playing for around six months but said he had still had the best month of his career.
"I had a good match in the Australian Open men's qualifying, which went 17-15 in the third set, the longest tennis match I think I've ever played.
"But to make it through to the final of the junior Australian Open, after my first-ever wins in a junior grand slam was a good feeling for me."
GOOD TACTICS
The girls' final was a repeat of the title showdown at the Orange Bowl event from last December and again it was Konjuh who came out on top.
Watched by her Fed Cup captain Iva Majoli, the 15-year-old came from 4-1 down in the second set to add the singles crown to the doubles title she won on Saturday.
"It feels really great," she said. "I won doubles and singles, in my first time here. Just the feeling is incredible."
"We played twice, so I know her well. I had good tactics and I just used them, I guess."
The victory means Konjuh will become the junior world number one on Monday, but Konjuh said she was already thinking of bigger things.
"I'm going to play (only) the junior grand slams," she said. I am going to play $10,000's, $25,000s and $50,000s because I just want to go now for my WTA ranking."
Konjuh said she was looking forward to playing for Croatia in the Fed Cup alongside 16-year-old Donna Vekic, who played in the main draw in Melbourne.
"It's another great experience," she said. "I'm going to get a chance to play with some pro players. I am just happy to be there."
Second seed Siniakova said she thought she had not done herself justice in her first grand slam final.
"I'm really sad because it wasn't my best game, so I am disappointed," she said. "She played very well but I think I could play better than I did.
"I think it was a little bit mental because we know each other so well. That was probably the main thing."
Errani and Vinci win doubles title for Italy
Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci beat Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua 6-2 3-6 6-2 to win the women's doubles at the Australian Open.
It was a case of second time lucky at Melbourne Park for the Italians, who were denied a maiden grand slam doubles title by Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva in the final last year.
Errani and Vinci, wearing identical orange skirts and white singlets, captured the decisive break at 3-2 in the third set, and clinched the title on the second match-point when Dellacqua clubbed a backhand wide of the tramlines.
The Italians celebrated their third doubles title in the past four Grand Slams, after winning last year at Roland Garros and the U.S. Open.
Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci beat Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua 6-2 3-6 6-2 to win the women's doubles at the Australian Open.
It was a case of second time lucky at Melbourne Park for the Italians, who were denied a maiden grand slam doubles title by Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva in the final last year.
Errani and Vinci, wearing identical orange skirts and white singlets, captured the decisive break at 3-2 in the third set, and clinched the title on the second match-point when Dellacqua clubbed a backhand wide of the tramlines.
The Italians celebrated their third doubles title in the past four Grand Slams, after winning last year at Roland Garros and the U.S. Open.
Australian duo win mixed doubles title
Jarmila Gajdosova and Matthew Ebden became the first locals to win a main draw Australian Open title since 2005 when they clinched the mixed doubles on Sunday.
The Australian duo, both aged 25, beat the Czech-pair Lucie Hradecka and Frantisek Cermak 6-3 7-5 in the final at Rod Laver Arena in 73 minutes.
Gajdosova and Ebden both crashed out of the singles competition in the first round, Gajdosova for the eighth time, and had never played together before they got together as a wildcard pairing for the season-opening Grand Slam.
South African-born Ebden moved to Perth as a child and has been mentored by Australian great Margaret Court, who won 24 Grand Slam singles titles and 19 women's and 19 mixed doubles titles at Grand Slams.
Scott Draper and Samantha Stosur were the last Australian pairing to win a title at Melbourne Park when they clinched the mixed doubles in 2005.
Australian duo Casey Dellacqua and Ashleigh Barty were beaten by Italian top seeds Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani on Friday in the women's doubles final.
Jarmila Gajdosova and Matthew Ebden became the first locals to win a main draw Australian Open title since 2005 when they clinched the mixed doubles on Sunday.
The Australian duo, both aged 25, beat the Czech-pair Lucie Hradecka and Frantisek Cermak 6-3 7-5 in the final at Rod Laver Arena in 73 minutes.
Gajdosova and Ebden both crashed out of the singles competition in the first round, Gajdosova for the eighth time, and had never played together before they got together as a wildcard pairing for the season-opening Grand Slam.
South African-born Ebden moved to Perth as a child and has been mentored by Australian great Margaret Court, who won 24 Grand Slam singles titles and 19 women's and 19 mixed doubles titles at Grand Slams.
Scott Draper and Samantha Stosur were the last Australian pairing to win a title at Melbourne Park when they clinched the mixed doubles in 2005.
Australian duo Casey Dellacqua and Ashleigh Barty were beaten by Italian top seeds Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani on Friday in the women's doubles final.
Djokovic beats Murray for third successive Melbourne title
World number one Novak Djokovic secured a record-breaking third successive Australian Open title with a 6-7(2) 7-6(3) 6-3 6-2 victory over Andy Murray.
The Serb outlasted a tiring Murray over three hours and 40 minutes to become the first man in the Open era to win the opening Grand Slam of the year in three consecutive years, and for the fourth time in total.
For Murray, however, the match finished in pain and disappointment, with a horrific-looking blister - which required medical attention after the second set - clearly causing him trouble for the remainder of the match.
There was little to choose between Djokovic and third-seeded Murray for over two hours as they split the first two sets on tie-breaks - and the first break did not come until the eighth game of the third set, when Djokovic began to take control.
After dropping the second set and receiving treatment to blisters on his left foot, Murray, who beat Roger Federer in five tough sets in the semi-finals on Friday, struggled to stick with the pace of Djokovic and faded quickly over the remainder of the match.
"What a joy. It's an incredible feeling to win this trophy again," Djokovic said. "This is definitely my favourite Grand Slam. I love this tournament. I love this court.
"I have to congratulate Andy and thank him. We have played so many great matches in the last two years. Bad luck for tonight but I wish you best of luck for the season."
US Open champion Murray was hoping to become the first Briton to win the title since Fred Perry in 1934 and the first man to win his second Grand slam immediately after winning his first.
"I'd like to thank Novak," Murray said. "His record here is incredible. There are very few people who have managed to do what he has done here.
"He's an amazing champion, so well done to him."
Djokovic, who has now won four of his six Grand Slam titles in Melbourne (also triumphing in 2008), had the first opportunity to secure the break in the opening set. He held four points in the sixth game of the match to get ahead, but could not take advantage of any of them as Murray went on to hold with an ace down the centre of the court.
The world number one also had a chance to break in the eighth game but again Murray denied him, saving the break point with a forehand drive volley winner, before going on to force the tie-break after another couple of service holds.
After playing two poor tie-breaks against Federer, Murray was clearly in no mood to make the same mistake in the final. He raced out to a 4-0 lead after an early double fault and successive ground-stroke errors from Djokovic.
The Scot never looked like losing the breaker, despite being under pressure for much of the opening set, and sealed it 7-2 to raise hopes of a repeat of his US Open triumph.
The second set saw an increasingly confident Murray reverse the pressure of the opener; the world number three looking the more likely to break as Djokovic mentally checked out of the match for a series of games.
Murray held three break points in just the second game of the set, but he could do nothing with any of them as Djokovic's trademark defensive play somehow kept him in it.
Regaining his concentration just in time, both players looking increasingly unlikely to drop serve as the set went on, the Serb then seized the initiative early in the second tie-break of the match.
Serving at 1-2 down, Murray seemingly got distracted mid-serve as a feather floated down from one of the birds in the roof of the Rod Laver Arena. A double fault quickly followed from the Scot and Djokovic pounced to take seal the set 7-3 in the breaker when Murray dumped a backhand into the bottom of the net.
The momentum of the match swung further in favour of the defending champion when Murray took an injury time-out at the end of the second set for treatment to blisters on his right foot.
Even in spite of this, however, the early stages of the third set went with serve as Murray and Djokovic both took the opportunity of returning to regain some energy after the two gruelling opening sets.
As the set went on, though, it became abundantly clear that Djokovic, who had an extra day off after playing his semi-final on Thursday, was the fresher of the two players. The Serb clearly lifted his level as Murray struggled to maintain his.
An epic 36-stroke rally in the eighth game was the turning point in the end, Djokovic scrambling defensively around the baseline before finding an injection of pace on an off-forehand across court that landed right in the corner for a winner.
The Serb went on to break at the third attempt when a dipping backhand from Murray caught the top of the net and dropped agonisingly back on to the Scot’s side of the net.
An emphatic service game followed from Djokovic to put him two sets to one ahead, and the match fizzled out thereafter as the fourth was much more one-sided affair.
Murray was fading fast while Djokovic looked like he could continue playing at that same level for hours. The defending champion broke in the fourth game before securing the double break two games later, and going on to seal the title when another Murray backhand ended up in the the net.
Djokovic was the worthiest of champions after a superb two weeks of tennis, while Murray will have no complaints - and will be itching to get back on court with his long-time friend and rival to take his revenge.
World number one Novak Djokovic secured a record-breaking third successive Australian Open title with a 6-7(2) 7-6(3) 6-3 6-2 victory over Andy Murray.
The Serb outlasted a tiring Murray over three hours and 40 minutes to become the first man in the Open era to win the opening Grand Slam of the year in three consecutive years, and for the fourth time in total.
For Murray, however, the match finished in pain and disappointment, with a horrific-looking blister - which required medical attention after the second set - clearly causing him trouble for the remainder of the match.
There was little to choose between Djokovic and third-seeded Murray for over two hours as they split the first two sets on tie-breaks - and the first break did not come until the eighth game of the third set, when Djokovic began to take control.
After dropping the second set and receiving treatment to blisters on his left foot, Murray, who beat Roger Federer in five tough sets in the semi-finals on Friday, struggled to stick with the pace of Djokovic and faded quickly over the remainder of the match.
"What a joy. It's an incredible feeling to win this trophy again," Djokovic said. "This is definitely my favourite Grand Slam. I love this tournament. I love this court.
"I have to congratulate Andy and thank him. We have played so many great matches in the last two years. Bad luck for tonight but I wish you best of luck for the season."
US Open champion Murray was hoping to become the first Briton to win the title since Fred Perry in 1934 and the first man to win his second Grand slam immediately after winning his first.
"I'd like to thank Novak," Murray said. "His record here is incredible. There are very few people who have managed to do what he has done here.
"He's an amazing champion, so well done to him."
Djokovic, who has now won four of his six Grand Slam titles in Melbourne (also triumphing in 2008), had the first opportunity to secure the break in the opening set. He held four points in the sixth game of the match to get ahead, but could not take advantage of any of them as Murray went on to hold with an ace down the centre of the court.
The world number one also had a chance to break in the eighth game but again Murray denied him, saving the break point with a forehand drive volley winner, before going on to force the tie-break after another couple of service holds.
After playing two poor tie-breaks against Federer, Murray was clearly in no mood to make the same mistake in the final. He raced out to a 4-0 lead after an early double fault and successive ground-stroke errors from Djokovic.
The Scot never looked like losing the breaker, despite being under pressure for much of the opening set, and sealed it 7-2 to raise hopes of a repeat of his US Open triumph.
The second set saw an increasingly confident Murray reverse the pressure of the opener; the world number three looking the more likely to break as Djokovic mentally checked out of the match for a series of games.
Murray held three break points in just the second game of the set, but he could do nothing with any of them as Djokovic's trademark defensive play somehow kept him in it.
Regaining his concentration just in time, both players looking increasingly unlikely to drop serve as the set went on, the Serb then seized the initiative early in the second tie-break of the match.
Serving at 1-2 down, Murray seemingly got distracted mid-serve as a feather floated down from one of the birds in the roof of the Rod Laver Arena. A double fault quickly followed from the Scot and Djokovic pounced to take seal the set 7-3 in the breaker when Murray dumped a backhand into the bottom of the net.
The momentum of the match swung further in favour of the defending champion when Murray took an injury time-out at the end of the second set for treatment to blisters on his right foot.
Even in spite of this, however, the early stages of the third set went with serve as Murray and Djokovic both took the opportunity of returning to regain some energy after the two gruelling opening sets.
As the set went on, though, it became abundantly clear that Djokovic, who had an extra day off after playing his semi-final on Thursday, was the fresher of the two players. The Serb clearly lifted his level as Murray struggled to maintain his.
An epic 36-stroke rally in the eighth game was the turning point in the end, Djokovic scrambling defensively around the baseline before finding an injection of pace on an off-forehand across court that landed right in the corner for a winner.
The Serb went on to break at the third attempt when a dipping backhand from Murray caught the top of the net and dropped agonisingly back on to the Scot’s side of the net.
An emphatic service game followed from Djokovic to put him two sets to one ahead, and the match fizzled out thereafter as the fourth was much more one-sided affair.
Murray was fading fast while Djokovic looked like he could continue playing at that same level for hours. The defending champion broke in the fourth game before securing the double break two games later, and going on to seal the title when another Murray backhand ended up in the the net.
Djokovic was the worthiest of champions after a superb two weeks of tennis, while Murray will have no complaints - and will be itching to get back on court with his long-time friend and rival to take his revenge.
Congrats to the Bryans in winning their record 13th (?) major championship at the Aussie yesterday. At least Americans have the Bryans to look to.
Stepanek out of Czechs' opening clash
A bad back has ruled Radek Stepanek, who helped lead the Czech Republic to the Davis Cup crown in 2012, out of the team's first round tie with Switzerland this weekend.
Lukas Rosol is expected to move up to the number two spot while Ivo Minar will be added to the squad.
"I cannot take part with the guys, unfortunately I have a problem with my disc that I have to have an operation on," Stepanek said in a video on the team's Facebook page.
Stepanek, 34, and world number six Tomas Berdych led the Czechs to their first Davis Cup title as an independent nation in November.
Stepanek's gruelling four-set victory over Spain's Nicolas Almagro clinched the title for the host nation.
The Czech team will start its 2013 campaign in Geneva against a Swiss team that will be without world number two Roger Federer.
A bad back has ruled Radek Stepanek, who helped lead the Czech Republic to the Davis Cup crown in 2012, out of the team's first round tie with Switzerland this weekend.
Lukas Rosol is expected to move up to the number two spot while Ivo Minar will be added to the squad.
"I cannot take part with the guys, unfortunately I have a problem with my disc that I have to have an operation on," Stepanek said in a video on the team's Facebook page.
Stepanek, 34, and world number six Tomas Berdych led the Czechs to their first Davis Cup title as an independent nation in November.
Stepanek's gruelling four-set victory over Spain's Nicolas Almagro clinched the title for the host nation.
The Czech team will start its 2013 campaign in Geneva against a Swiss team that will be without world number two Roger Federer.
Kvitova to lead Czechs at start of defence
World number eight Petra Kvitova, dumped out in the second round at the Australian Open, will lead the Czech Republic in their Fed Cup title defence when they take on Australia in a first round tie next month.
Czech captain Petr Pala will stick with the same squad that lifted the crown for a second straight year in November, including Lucie Safarova, Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.
"I decided on a proven, winning team," Pala said in a statement.
The Czechs will begin their attempt at a third straight title in front of their home fans in the northeastern city of Ostrava on February 9-10.
World number eight Petra Kvitova, dumped out in the second round at the Australian Open, will lead the Czech Republic in their Fed Cup title defence when they take on Australia in a first round tie next month.
Czech captain Petr Pala will stick with the same squad that lifted the crown for a second straight year in November, including Lucie Safarova, Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.
"I decided on a proven, winning team," Pala said in a statement.
The Czechs will begin their attempt at a third straight title in front of their home fans in the northeastern city of Ostrava on February 9-10.
Watson eases through in Thailand
Britain's Heather Watson cruised into the second round of WTA Pattaya with a superb display in her opening match.
The newly-minted world number 40 is seeded eighth for the tournament, and more than justified that billing as she raced into a 6-1 3-0 lead before her opponent Timea Babos retired from the match.
The Hungarian, ranked 79th in the world, was broken four times before quitting after 54 minutes on court.
Watson reached the third round of the Australian Open before losing to world number four Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets.
Next up for Watson is Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia, the world number 183 made it into the second round with a 6-4 6-2 win over Misaki Doi of Japan.
Second seed Maria Kirilenko encountered stiff resistance from Uzbekistan's world number 148 Akgul Amanmuradova before winning 6-3 7-5. She will now face Thai wildcard Luksika Kumkhum.
Results:
2-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) beat Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzbekistan) 6-3 7-5
4-Sorana Cirstea (Romania) beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands (U.S.) 6-1 6-3
5-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) beat Tatjana Malek (Germany) 6-2 6-3
8-Heather Watson (Britain) beat Timea Babos (Hungary) 6-1 3-0 (Babos retired)
Anastasia Rodionova (Australia) beat Vania King (U.S.) 6-4 6-4
Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia) beat Misaki Doi (Japan) 6-4 6-2
Kimiko Date-Krumm (Japan) beat Chanelle Scheepers (South Africa) 7-5 6-1
Luksika Kumkhum (Thailand) beat Casey Dellacqua (Australia) 6-2 6-2
Britain's Heather Watson cruised into the second round of WTA Pattaya with a superb display in her opening match.
The newly-minted world number 40 is seeded eighth for the tournament, and more than justified that billing as she raced into a 6-1 3-0 lead before her opponent Timea Babos retired from the match.
The Hungarian, ranked 79th in the world, was broken four times before quitting after 54 minutes on court.
Watson reached the third round of the Australian Open before losing to world number four Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets.
Next up for Watson is Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia, the world number 183 made it into the second round with a 6-4 6-2 win over Misaki Doi of Japan.
Second seed Maria Kirilenko encountered stiff resistance from Uzbekistan's world number 148 Akgul Amanmuradova before winning 6-3 7-5. She will now face Thai wildcard Luksika Kumkhum.
Results:
2-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) beat Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzbekistan) 6-3 7-5
4-Sorana Cirstea (Romania) beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands (U.S.) 6-1 6-3
5-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) beat Tatjana Malek (Germany) 6-2 6-3
8-Heather Watson (Britain) beat Timea Babos (Hungary) 6-1 3-0 (Babos retired)
Anastasia Rodionova (Australia) beat Vania King (U.S.) 6-4 6-4
Anastasija Sevastova (Latvia) beat Misaki Doi (Japan) 6-4 6-2
Kimiko Date-Krumm (Japan) beat Chanelle Scheepers (South Africa) 7-5 6-1
Luksika Kumkhum (Thailand) beat Casey Dellacqua (Australia) 6-2 6-2
Cornet wins opening test in Paris
Alize Cornet emerged from a tricky match in front of her home fans to beat Sofia Arvidsson 6-3 4-6 6-0 and make the second round of WTA Paris.
World number 35 Cornet raced into a 5-0 lead in the opening set, but Arvidsson fought back to make it a contest before succumbing.
Arvidsson, ranked just two places below her French opponent, then kept the momentum as she cruised through the second set to force a decider.
But Cornet then upped her game once more to reel off six consecutive games to make the last-16 and make up for her first-round exit in the event last year.
Round 1 matches on Tuesday:
Alize Cornet (France) beat Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden) 6-3 4-6 6-0
Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) beat Monica Niculescu (Romania) 6-3 7-6(3)
Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) beat Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) 6-4 6-2
Alize Cornet emerged from a tricky match in front of her home fans to beat Sofia Arvidsson 6-3 4-6 6-0 and make the second round of WTA Paris.
World number 35 Cornet raced into a 5-0 lead in the opening set, but Arvidsson fought back to make it a contest before succumbing.
Arvidsson, ranked just two places below her French opponent, then kept the momentum as she cruised through the second set to force a decider.
But Cornet then upped her game once more to reel off six consecutive games to make the last-16 and make up for her first-round exit in the event last year.
Round 1 matches on Tuesday:
Alize Cornet (France) beat Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden) 6-3 4-6 6-0
Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) beat Monica Niculescu (Romania) 6-3 7-6(3)
Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) beat Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) 6-4 6-2
Tennis drug testing 'inadequate'
Novak Djokovic's cheque for winning the Australian Open on Sunday was more than the entire annual budget for anti-doping in tennis, a programme many feel is woefully inadequate.
Djokovic and Andy Murray left Melbourne on Monday with a combined $3.8 million in their pockets for their efforts over the past fortnight.
The total funding for the 2013 anti-doping programme stands at $2 million, paid for by the four grand slams, the International Tennis Federation and ATP and WTA Tours. The cost includes $400,000 for the administration of the programme, paid for by the ITF.
Many players, including Djokovic and Murray, have called for more blood tests to ensure there is no cheating.
Of the 2,150 tests carried out by the ITF in 2011, the last set of figures available, 131 were blood tests and only 21 were out of competition.
Blood tests accounted for between three and six percent of all tests in tennis in 2011, compared to 35 percent in cycling and 17.6 percent in athletics.
"I would struggle to know if there is any other sport where their drug-testing programme has gone backwards in recent years," said Darren Cahill, who coached Lleyton Hewitt and Andre Agassi to the world number one spot.
Following Lance Armstrong's confession that he took drugs in all seven of his Tour de France cycling wins, tennis has come in for greater scrutiny with regards to doping.
"You get blood tested at the slams, usually after you lose, but I've never been blood tested out of competition," said American Mike Bryan, who won a record 13th grand slam title together with twin brother Bob Bryan in the men's doubles on Saturday.
Bryan told Reuters he is probably tested around 20 times a year, but out-of-competition, through the whereabouts programme, it has only ever been urine tests.
Urine tests can detect many drugs, including EPO, one of several taken by Armstrong and other leading cyclists but only blood tests can detect HGH, human growth hormone.
John Fahey, the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said tennis has an "effective anti-doping programme" but that more should be done.
"If there are insufficient blood samples being taken then athletes will become aware of that and make it the drug of their choice because they know the sport does not pay attention to blood testing," Fahey told Reuters by telephone.
"I would like to see a compulsory percentage of all tests being blood to make sure that some of these areas are not slipping through the loop.
"There has been a propensity to draw back on blood testing across the board. I will be pushing to have that altered by way of mandatory blood testing provisions in the amended code that will be signed off in November this year at our world conference.
"Another worry is that sometimes when they take a urine sample they do not tell the laboratory to analyse it for everything.
"EPO, which was the drug of choice, was not being tested for to keep the costs down. I believe that we need to change that."
Bryan said if players have any evidence their rivals are cheating, they have an obligation to tell the authorities.
"You'd rat them out," he told Reuters. "It's like the honour code; you have to. You just don't want to get caught up in a whole scandal like that. You want to do the right thing, even if it's your friend. If it was my brother, I'd probably rat my brother out."
Between the grand slams, the ATP Tour, WTA Tour and ITF circuits, tennis pays out at least $300 million in prize money, while installing and running the Hawk-Eye challenge system costs tournaments between $50,000 and $60,000 per court.
Cahill said the increasing revenue created by the sport globally means that more should be invested in the programme.
"Maybe with all the money the players are pulling out of the slams at the moment, it might even be a pro-active thing for the players to invest a little bit back into the programme," he told Reuters.
"That would send a strong message to the community that not only do we believe in our sport but that we're also making sure we're taking measures to make sure our sport is clean."
Fahey said the responsibility for funding was with the authorities, not the players.
"It's up to the administrators to make abundantly clear that funds will be allocated," he said. "If that means cutting back on a small percentage of the prize money allocated at any tournament then so be it.
The ITF said last week that it is considering introducing the biological passport, which detects changes in biological markers in the blood, rather than looking for specific drugs.
Some players have said that the relatively low number of positive tests - there have been 63 "incidences of doping" since 1995 - shows that the sport is clean.
But Cahill disagreed: "I think the lessons of the last few months are that we can never be too careful with that."
Novak Djokovic's cheque for winning the Australian Open on Sunday was more than the entire annual budget for anti-doping in tennis, a programme many feel is woefully inadequate.
Djokovic and Andy Murray left Melbourne on Monday with a combined $3.8 million in their pockets for their efforts over the past fortnight.
The total funding for the 2013 anti-doping programme stands at $2 million, paid for by the four grand slams, the International Tennis Federation and ATP and WTA Tours. The cost includes $400,000 for the administration of the programme, paid for by the ITF.
Many players, including Djokovic and Murray, have called for more blood tests to ensure there is no cheating.
Of the 2,150 tests carried out by the ITF in 2011, the last set of figures available, 131 were blood tests and only 21 were out of competition.
Blood tests accounted for between three and six percent of all tests in tennis in 2011, compared to 35 percent in cycling and 17.6 percent in athletics.
"I would struggle to know if there is any other sport where their drug-testing programme has gone backwards in recent years," said Darren Cahill, who coached Lleyton Hewitt and Andre Agassi to the world number one spot.
Following Lance Armstrong's confession that he took drugs in all seven of his Tour de France cycling wins, tennis has come in for greater scrutiny with regards to doping.
"You get blood tested at the slams, usually after you lose, but I've never been blood tested out of competition," said American Mike Bryan, who won a record 13th grand slam title together with twin brother Bob Bryan in the men's doubles on Saturday.
Bryan told Reuters he is probably tested around 20 times a year, but out-of-competition, through the whereabouts programme, it has only ever been urine tests.
Urine tests can detect many drugs, including EPO, one of several taken by Armstrong and other leading cyclists but only blood tests can detect HGH, human growth hormone.
John Fahey, the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said tennis has an "effective anti-doping programme" but that more should be done.
"If there are insufficient blood samples being taken then athletes will become aware of that and make it the drug of their choice because they know the sport does not pay attention to blood testing," Fahey told Reuters by telephone.
"I would like to see a compulsory percentage of all tests being blood to make sure that some of these areas are not slipping through the loop.
"There has been a propensity to draw back on blood testing across the board. I will be pushing to have that altered by way of mandatory blood testing provisions in the amended code that will be signed off in November this year at our world conference.
"Another worry is that sometimes when they take a urine sample they do not tell the laboratory to analyse it for everything.
"EPO, which was the drug of choice, was not being tested for to keep the costs down. I believe that we need to change that."
Bryan said if players have any evidence their rivals are cheating, they have an obligation to tell the authorities.
"You'd rat them out," he told Reuters. "It's like the honour code; you have to. You just don't want to get caught up in a whole scandal like that. You want to do the right thing, even if it's your friend. If it was my brother, I'd probably rat my brother out."
Between the grand slams, the ATP Tour, WTA Tour and ITF circuits, tennis pays out at least $300 million in prize money, while installing and running the Hawk-Eye challenge system costs tournaments between $50,000 and $60,000 per court.
Cahill said the increasing revenue created by the sport globally means that more should be invested in the programme.
"Maybe with all the money the players are pulling out of the slams at the moment, it might even be a pro-active thing for the players to invest a little bit back into the programme," he told Reuters.
"That would send a strong message to the community that not only do we believe in our sport but that we're also making sure we're taking measures to make sure our sport is clean."
Fahey said the responsibility for funding was with the authorities, not the players.
"It's up to the administrators to make abundantly clear that funds will be allocated," he said. "If that means cutting back on a small percentage of the prize money allocated at any tournament then so be it.
The ITF said last week that it is considering introducing the biological passport, which detects changes in biological markers in the blood, rather than looking for specific drugs.
Some players have said that the relatively low number of positive tests - there have been 63 "incidences of doping" since 1995 - shows that the sport is clean.
But Cahill disagreed: "I think the lessons of the last few months are that we can never be too careful with that."
Mladenovic stuns Goerges in Paris
Kristina Mladenovic delighted the home crowd at the WTA Paris to outlast seventh seed Julia Goerges 7-5 5-7 7-6(4) in round one.
The French teenager, ranked 87 in the world, won 117 points to the German's 116, but held her nerve in the decisive tie-break to come through to face the winner of Yanina Wickmayer's clash with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
It could have been over sooner, with the 19-year-old taking the first set 7-5 and in control of the second. But Goerges dug deep to force a decider.
Kristina Mladenovic delighted the home crowd at the WTA Paris to outlast seventh seed Julia Goerges 7-5 5-7 7-6(4) in round one.
The French teenager, ranked 87 in the world, won 117 points to the German's 116, but held her nerve in the decisive tie-break to come through to face the winner of Yanina Wickmayer's clash with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
It could have been over sooner, with the 19-year-old taking the first set 7-5 and in control of the second. But Goerges dug deep to force a decider.
Tomic in trouble with traffic police again
Bernard Tomic has run into trouble with traffic police following the conclusion of the Australian Open for a second year running after being caught speeding in his sports car.
Tomic, who started the year in good form by winning the Sydney International title, was reportedly driving his yellow Ferrari at 78kph in a 60kph zone on Australia's Gold Coast.
Around the same time last year Tomic made headlines after he refused to stop for police while driving a high-powered orange BMW, leading to a bizarre stand-off with police outside his home.
The 20-year-old was subsequently found guilty of four traffic offences at Southport Magistrates Court in November and was issued with a 12-month good behaviour bond. The player also pledged to concentrate on his tennis.
If found guilty of the latest offence, he is likely to lose his driving licence.
Just like 12 months ago, Tomic is coming off an encouraging performance at his home Grand Slam. The Australian number one reached the third round in Melbourne earlier this month, where he was beaten by eventual semi-finalist Roger Federer, but appeared to deliver on his promise of improved form on the court.
Last year, Tomic delighted home crowds with his run to the fourth round, taking in victories over Fernando Verdasco, Sam Querrey and Alexandr Dolgopolov before being halted, again by Federer.
His success in Sydney in the run-up to this year's Australian Open was his first ATP Tour title and hinted his off-court problems were perhaps behind him.
Bernard Tomic has run into trouble with traffic police following the conclusion of the Australian Open for a second year running after being caught speeding in his sports car.
Tomic, who started the year in good form by winning the Sydney International title, was reportedly driving his yellow Ferrari at 78kph in a 60kph zone on Australia's Gold Coast.
Around the same time last year Tomic made headlines after he refused to stop for police while driving a high-powered orange BMW, leading to a bizarre stand-off with police outside his home.
The 20-year-old was subsequently found guilty of four traffic offences at Southport Magistrates Court in November and was issued with a 12-month good behaviour bond. The player also pledged to concentrate on his tennis.
If found guilty of the latest offence, he is likely to lose his driving licence.
Just like 12 months ago, Tomic is coming off an encouraging performance at his home Grand Slam. The Australian number one reached the third round in Melbourne earlier this month, where he was beaten by eventual semi-finalist Roger Federer, but appeared to deliver on his promise of improved form on the court.
Last year, Tomic delighted home crowds with his run to the fourth round, taking in victories over Fernando Verdasco, Sam Querrey and Alexandr Dolgopolov before being halted, again by Federer.
His success in Sydney in the run-up to this year's Australian Open was his first ATP Tour title and hinted his off-court problems were perhaps behind him.
Nadal keeping expectations low before Chile comeback
Spaniard Rafa Nadal is keeping his expectations low ahead of his long-awaited return to competitive action in early February after seven months out of tennis with a knee injury.
The 26-year-old French Open champion has not played since losing to Czech Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon in June due to a partial tear of the patella tendon and inflammation in his left knee.
His planned return at the end of last year was delayed due to illness and he is scheduled to play on his favoured clay at three events next month, starting in Vina del Mar, Chile, on February 4 and taking in the Brazil Open in Sao Paulo from February 11 and the Mexico Open in Acapulco from February 25.
"Well I am going to play (after) a long time in a tennis tournament, professional tennis tournament, after seven months," Nadal said after training on his home island of Majorca on Wednesday.
"The motivation, the illusion is big, so very happy to be back in the competition but just you know, with patience to know how the knee will answer after a long time without the top level," he added.
"The most important thing for me is the knee...that I can support the pain of the knee and then if I am able to play these three tournaments in a row I think it will work very well for me because I will have three important weeks to prepare for the rest of the season.
"I know that the first three tournaments are going to be difficult in terms of results but I am going to try everything. I will need a few weeks to see how things improve."
Nadal's absence deprived tennis of one of the "big four" who have dominated the sport in recent years.
During his spell on the sidelines, Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic won the 2012 World Tour finals and the Australian Open, number two Roger Federer of Switzerland won Wimbledon and third-ranked Briton Andy Murray the US Open and Olympic gold.
In the latest ATP rankings published on Monday, Nadal, who won a record seventh Roland Garros crown in May, slipped below compatriot David Ferrer to number five.
Spaniard Rafa Nadal is keeping his expectations low ahead of his long-awaited return to competitive action in early February after seven months out of tennis with a knee injury.
The 26-year-old French Open champion has not played since losing to Czech Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon in June due to a partial tear of the patella tendon and inflammation in his left knee.
His planned return at the end of last year was delayed due to illness and he is scheduled to play on his favoured clay at three events next month, starting in Vina del Mar, Chile, on February 4 and taking in the Brazil Open in Sao Paulo from February 11 and the Mexico Open in Acapulco from February 25.
"Well I am going to play (after) a long time in a tennis tournament, professional tennis tournament, after seven months," Nadal said after training on his home island of Majorca on Wednesday.
"The motivation, the illusion is big, so very happy to be back in the competition but just you know, with patience to know how the knee will answer after a long time without the top level," he added.
"The most important thing for me is the knee...that I can support the pain of the knee and then if I am able to play these three tournaments in a row I think it will work very well for me because I will have three important weeks to prepare for the rest of the season.
"I know that the first three tournaments are going to be difficult in terms of results but I am going to try everything. I will need a few weeks to see how things improve."
Nadal's absence deprived tennis of one of the "big four" who have dominated the sport in recent years.
During his spell on the sidelines, Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic won the 2012 World Tour finals and the Australian Open, number two Roger Federer of Switzerland won Wimbledon and third-ranked Briton Andy Murray the US Open and Olympic gold.
In the latest ATP rankings published on Monday, Nadal, who won a record seventh Roland Garros crown in May, slipped below compatriot David Ferrer to number five.
Ivanovic forced to wait as rain hits Thailand
Rain washed out most of Wednesday’s play at the Pattaya Open in Thailand, with Ana Ivanovic's opener going into a third day.
Top seed Ivanovic, whose match could not be completed on Tuesday, was serving at 2-1 down in the third set against Ayumi Morita when play was stopped, while twice defending champion and sixth seed Daniela Hantuchova was 6-2 1-0 up on Olga Puchkova 6-2 1-0.
Fellow seeds Sabine Lisicki and Elena Vesnina were scheduled to be in action later in the day.
Three first-round matches had already been held over from Tuesday due to the weather.
With an improved forecast for Thursday, those matches should be completed but the winners will have to play their second-round matches later in the day.
The quarter-finals are planned for Friday, the semi-finals Saturday and final Sunday.
Rain washed out most of Wednesday’s play at the Pattaya Open in Thailand, with Ana Ivanovic's opener going into a third day.
Top seed Ivanovic, whose match could not be completed on Tuesday, was serving at 2-1 down in the third set against Ayumi Morita when play was stopped, while twice defending champion and sixth seed Daniela Hantuchova was 6-2 1-0 up on Olga Puchkova 6-2 1-0.
Fellow seeds Sabine Lisicki and Elena Vesnina were scheduled to be in action later in the day.
Three first-round matches had already been held over from Tuesday due to the weather.
With an improved forecast for Thursday, those matches should be completed but the winners will have to play their second-round matches later in the day.
The quarter-finals are planned for Friday, the semi-finals Saturday and final Sunday.
Barthel sends Vinci crashing out in Paris
Mona Barthel dumped out fifth seed Roberta Vinci of Italy 4-6 6-1 6-3 in their second-round match at WTA Paris.
Barthel, who thrashed Urszula Radwanksa of Poland in the first round, recovered from a set down to beat Vinci in 86 minutes.
The German, ranked at number 45 in the world, will next take on either third seed Marion Bartoli or Christina McHale of the USA in the third round, who are playing in the final match of the day.
In first-round action, sixth seed Lucie Safarova, the world number 18 from the Czech Republic, also recovered from a set down to beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain 2-6 6-1 6-1.
WTA Paris results
Round two
Mona Barthel (Germany) beat 5-Roberta Vinci (Italy) 4-6 6-1 6-3
Round one
6-Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spain) 2-6 6-1
Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Virginie Razzano (France) 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-1
Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 7-6(7) 4-6 6-3
Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) beat Tamira Paszek (Austria) 6-4 7-5
Mona Barthel dumped out fifth seed Roberta Vinci of Italy 4-6 6-1 6-3 in their second-round match at WTA Paris.
Barthel, who thrashed Urszula Radwanksa of Poland in the first round, recovered from a set down to beat Vinci in 86 minutes.
The German, ranked at number 45 in the world, will next take on either third seed Marion Bartoli or Christina McHale of the USA in the third round, who are playing in the final match of the day.
In first-round action, sixth seed Lucie Safarova, the world number 18 from the Czech Republic, also recovered from a set down to beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain 2-6 6-1 6-1.
WTA Paris results
Round two
Mona Barthel (Germany) beat 5-Roberta Vinci (Italy) 4-6 6-1 6-3
Round one
6-Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spain) 2-6 6-1
Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Virginie Razzano (France) 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-1
Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 7-6(7) 4-6 6-3
Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) beat Tamira Paszek (Austria) 6-4 7-5
Bartoli finally returns to Fed Cup fold for France
Marion Bartoli, the world number 10, has returned to the French Fed Cup team after a nine-year absence.
France's top women's player has historically refused to play for her country after a string of team captains refused her father and coach Walter permission to coach Bartoli during Fed Cup weeks.
As a result Bartoli also missed out on representing her country at the Olympics.
But new team captain Amelie Mauresmo has managed to persuade Bartoli to soften her long-standing position, although the coaching ban remains.
French daily l'Equipe reported that Walter would be able to attend the upcoming World Group play-off tie against Germany, but only as a family member, and not in a coaching capacity.
Marion Bartoli, the world number 10, has returned to the French Fed Cup team after a nine-year absence.
France's top women's player has historically refused to play for her country after a string of team captains refused her father and coach Walter permission to coach Bartoli during Fed Cup weeks.
As a result Bartoli also missed out on representing her country at the Olympics.
But new team captain Amelie Mauresmo has managed to persuade Bartoli to soften her long-standing position, although the coaching ban remains.
French daily l'Equipe reported that Walter would be able to attend the upcoming World Group play-off tie against Germany, but only as a family member, and not in a coaching capacity.
Li hopeful of quick return despite sore ankle
Australian Open runner-up Li Na will visit doctors in Germany for treatment on her sore left ankle and is hopeful of returning to action in a fortnight.
The Chinese world number five rolled her ankle twice in losing the final of the women's singles at Melbourne Park to world number one Victoria Azarenka on Saturday.
"It's sore, so (I) will see doctor on Monday," Li said.
She has been recuperating at home in China and visiting family since her near-miss at the year's first Grand Slam.
Providing she is fit, the 30-year-old would return to action at the Qatar Total Open in Doha on February 11-17, she said.
Australian Open runner-up Li Na will visit doctors in Germany for treatment on her sore left ankle and is hopeful of returning to action in a fortnight.
The Chinese world number five rolled her ankle twice in losing the final of the women's singles at Melbourne Park to world number one Victoria Azarenka on Saturday.
"It's sore, so (I) will see doctor on Monday," Li said.
She has been recuperating at home in China and visiting family since her near-miss at the year's first Grand Slam.
Providing she is fit, the 30-year-old would return to action at the Qatar Total Open in Doha on February 11-17, she said.
