Fed Cup Tennis: Play-offs underway in Ulcinj

ULCINJ, MONTENEGRO: Three play-offs were decided on Friday’s action at the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Europe/Africa Zone Group III event in Ulcinj.

Four of the bottom five teams from the group stages faced off to decide the final standings in the Zone Group. Mozambique finishes bottom of Europe/Africa Zone Group III after finishing bottom of the only group to contain four teams.

Montenegro is the second seed but has underperformed this week and found itself in the 9-12th play-off where it faced Algeria. Nina Kalezic won the opening set of her rubber against Amira Benaissa 75 but that would be the only set Montenegro won in the tie as first Benaissa recovered to win the opening rubber 57 75 61.

In the second rubber, Ines Ibbou easily overcame Kristina Samardzic 60 61 to give Algeria an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie. The whitewash was complete when Benaissa and Ibbou teamed up in the doubles rubber and defeated Samardzic and Nikoleta Bulatovic 64 62, ensuring the North Africans would finish the year tied in ninth.

Namibia made it two African nations tied in ninth with a 3-0 win over Iceland. Liniques Theron got Namibia off to a perfect start with a 61 64 win over Anna Sofia Gronholm, before Lesedi Sheya Jacobs defeated Hjordis Rosa Gudmundsdottir 61 61 to seal the tie.

That was 17-year-old Jacobs’ third win from four rubbers this week and Namibian captain Mariska Kuschke was delighted to see her young star performing so well. Namibia made it a 3-0 whitewash when Lize-Elfrida Moolmann teamed up with Theron to defeat Gronholm and Hera Brynjarsdottir 61 60 in the doubles rubber.

In addition to the 9-12th place play-offs, one of the 5-8th play-offs was also played on Friday with Armenia taking on Norway. The Norwegians took the lead through Caroline Rohde-Moe who easily defeated Lusine Chobanyan 60 60.

Fifth place was secure when Melanie Stokke defeated Ani Amiraghyan 61 60 in the second rubber. Norway made it 3-0 with a victory in the doubles as Rohde-Moe and Stokke Amiraghyan and Milena Avetisyan 62 63.

Tomorrow will see the promotion play-offs and the final 5-8th place play-off take place.

You can see the final group standings and the play-off line-ups here.
Source: Fedcup.com