KAROLINA PLISKOVA won her singles rubber and then teamed up with Barbora Strycova to take the decisive doubles and lead the Czech Republic to a successful defense of their Fed Cup title on Sunday.

    Pliskova and Strycova beat Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Elena Vesnina 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 at Prague’s hardcourt O2 Arena to hand the hosts their fourth trophy in five years.

    The Czechs won their ninth title overall, including five as Czechoslovakia, which went on to split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.

    Russia have won four titles from 11 final ties, including those they played as the former Soviet Union.

    “It’s the first experience for me in the Fed Cup so I’m really happy (about) how we made it and we both played really good,” said Pliskova. “I’m speechless, it was unbelievable,” added Strycova.

    Russian captain Anastasia Myskina, a former French Open champion, did not conceal her disappointment.

    “We tried, we did our best, I’m proud of my girls, I think they played good,” she said.

    Pliskova was the star of the day after she saw off 28th-ranked Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 6-4 in Sunday’s second singles rubber.

    In the day’s opener, Maria Sharapova came back from a set down to edge sixth-ranked Petra Kvitova 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

    (SD-Agencies)