French captain Nicolas Escude’s makeshift team has overcome Germany 3-2 in Frankfurt and avoided dropping out of the World Group for the first time in 48 years.
Germany’s Andrea Petkovic upset Aravane Rezai 6-1 7-6(2) to put the home team ahead 2-1, but then France’s Pauline Parmentier won her first Fed Cup live rubber by defeating Julia Goerges 7-6(4), 6-4 and the French pairing of Julie Coin/Alize Cornet bested Petkovic/Kristina Barrois 6-3, 6-1. Cornet entered the contest with an 0-8 record in Fed Cup and Coin was also winless entering the match.—M.C.