Fed Cup: Norway edge past hosts Montenegro in Ulcinj
Norway defeated Montenegro by the narrowest of margins on the second day of action at the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Europe/Africa Zone Group III event in Ulcinj.
The Pool D clash came down to the deciding rubber and the Norwegian duo of Ulrikke Eikeri and Melanie Stokke were pushed all the way by Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic and Ana Veselinovic, eventually prevailing 75 46 76(6) in a match lasting just a few minutes shy of three hours.
Earlier, Stokke had defeated Anja Draskovic in straight sets to give Norway the lead, before Kovinic – who, at 62 in the world, is the highest ranked player at this event – gave up just one game to Eikeri as she levelled the tie for the hosts in the second singles rubber.
The doubles victory leaves Norway at the top of Pool D with two wins, and Montenegro tied for second with a Morroccan team that produced a dominant display in beating Mozambique today, losing just one game in the entire tie.
In Pool C, Cyprus saw off a strong challenge from Madagascar to go top of the pool. Zarah Razafimahatratra got the Madagascar team off to a perfect start with a hard-fought win over Maria Siopacha, but Cypriot No. 1 Eliza Omirou evened things up with a straight sets victory against Sandra Andriamarosoa.
Omirou and Siopacha then recovered from a second set blip to record a 63 06 62 doubles win and leave Cyprus with an excellent chance of reaching the promotion play-offs. Meanwhile, Moldova bounced back from a surprise defeat to Madagascar yesterday with a straightforward 3-0 win against Algeria to keep their hopes of reaching the play-offs alive.
Teams in Pool B also began their campaigns today, having had a day off yesterday, with wins Ireland and FYR Macedonia over Iceland and Armenia respectively. The two winners face off tomorrow knowing that victory will move them a step closer to the play-offs.
Click here for more information about Europe/Africa Zone Group III.
