Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova celebrates with teammates after defeating Coco Gauff of the United States on the 4th day of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The Associated Press
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) - The unheralded Czech Republic upset the United States to reach the Billie Jean King Cup semifinals for the first time time in four years on Friday.
The Czechs will meet Switzerland on Saturday in Glasgow after the Swiss beat Canada 2-1. Fellow group winners Australia and Britain meet in the other semi.
No. 7-ranked Coco Gauff and No. 14 Danielle Collins were expected to roll over the Czechs in their singles but neither could win a set.
Gauff won all three previous matches against Katerina Siniakova but fell 7-6 (1), 6-1. Gauff made 39 unforced errors in her fifth straight singles defeat.
Collins was overwhelmed by Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-3. The latter won eight games in a row from 3-1 down.
Vondrousova only recently returned to the tour after six months out following wrist surgery. In her second minor comeback tournament last week in England, she won the singles and doubles and carried the form to Glasgow.
Switzerland, the 2021 runner-up, took an unassailable lead over Canada after Viktorija Golubic rallied to beat Bianca Andreescu 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, and Belinda Bencic beat Leylah Fernandez 6-0, 7-5.
Golubic stood in for Jil Teichmann, who was on court for four hours on Wednesday. The switch was inspired as Golubic refocused in the second set, broke early, and held her ground.
Fernandez beat Bencic in the tournament two years ago but Bencic won their most recent contest last month in Guadalajara and carried it on.
___
More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova celebrates defeating Coco Gauff of the United States on the 4th day of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The Associated Press
Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova, right shakes hands with Coco Gauff of the United States after defeating her on the 4th day of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The Associated Press
Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova celebrates after defeating The United States's Danielle Collins on the 4th day of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The Associated Press
The United Sates' Danielle Collins plays a return to the Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova on the 4th day of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The Associated Press
Switzerland's Belinda Bencic reacts after winning a point against Canada's Leylah Fernandez on the 4th day of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The Associated Press
Canada's Leylah Fernandez serves to Switzerland's Belinda Bencic on the 4th day of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The Associated Press
Switzerland's Belinda Bencic plays a return to Canada's Leylah Fernandez on the 4th day of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The Associated Press
Canada's Leylah Fernandez celebrates after winning a point against Switzerland's Belinda Bencic on the 4th day of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The Associated Press
Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic celebrates after winning a point against Canada's Bianca Andreescu on the 4th day of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. Golubic defeated Andreescu in three sets. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The Associated Press
Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic smiles as she hugs her team captain Captain Heinz Guenthard as they celebrate after defeating Canada's Bianca Andreescu on the 4th day of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The Associated Press
Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic, left, shakes hands with Canada's Bianca Andreescu after winning their match on the 4th day of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The Associated Press