MOSCOW MAULING:Chang Kai-chen and Lee Ya-hsuan both lost in straight sets in the singles, before the Taiwan team’s miserable day was completed by a doubles defeat
Taipei Times
Date: Feb 14, 2017
By: Dave Carroll / Staff reporter
Russia crushed Taiwan 4-1 in their Fed Cup World Group II tie at the Druzhba Arena in Moscow on
Taiwan’s Lee Ya-hsuan returns to Natalia Vikhlyantseva of Russia in their Fed Cup World Group II reverse singles rubber at the Druzhba Arena in Moscow on Sunday. Photo: EPA
Sunday, ending a three-match losing streak and advancing to the World Group playoffs in April.
Ekaterina Makarova defeated Chang Kai-chen 6-4, 7-5 in the first reverse singles rubber to give the hosts a 2-1 lead, before debutant Natalia Vikhlyantseva — who replaced Anna Blinkova — crushed Lee Ya-hsuan 6-1, 6-2 in just 58 minutes.
The visitors miserable day in Moscow was complete when Blinkova and Anna Kalinskaya beat Chan Chin-wei and Hsu Ching-wen 6-3, 7-5 in the doubles rubber.
It could have been so different if Chang had managed to take her chances.
The Taiwanese was the first to break serve in the first set to take a 4-2 lead, before Makarova fed off the energy of the crowd to win four straight games and claim the set. [FULL STORY]
