Fed Cup 2014

[BobbyMorri]

Draw

1st Round
8–9 February
19–20 April Semifinals
8–9 November Final

Cleveland, United States (Indoor hard)

1

Italy 3 _________ 1 Italy​

United States 1

V​

Seville, Spain (Outdoor clay)

Spain 2

3

Czech Republic 3___ Czech Republic ​

Bratislava, Slovakia (Indoor hard)
4

Slovakia 1

Germany 3__________ Germany

V​

Hobart, Australia (Outdoor hard)

Australia 4__________ Australia ​

2

Russia 0

World Group Play-offs
(thanks Wiki)​

So Australia play Russia in Hobart on the weekend of 8-9th of February. and that whole fiasco from last year for Russia seems to be happening again. None of the top Russian Players are turning up, so it should be an easy win.

Teams are

Australia
Sam Stosur
Casey Dellacqua
Ashleigh Barty
Storm Sanders

Russia (captain: Anastasia Myskina)
Victoria Kan (rank:157)
Valeria Solovyeva (230)
Irina Khromacheva (254)
Veronika Kudermetova (697)

So the top Russian players must be still unhappy or the federation is unhappy. either way, its not a very good look for the Fed Cup.

 

[matt_897]

Wonder how Sam will choke this.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

What's going on with the Russian players? Feel as though I've missed something.

 

[BobbyMorri]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/01/us-tennis-fedcup-russia-idUSBRE9A00UV20131101

basically, the tournament of champions was on at the same time as the Fed Cup final. see below.

Maria Sharapova has a shoulder injury, Ekaterina Makarova is not fully fit, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Nadia Petrova no longer play Fed Cup matches, while Maria Kirilenko, Elena Vesnina and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova are all competing in the Tournament of Champions in Sofia.

this forced hem to pick a couple of players outside the top 100 for the final v Italy(which they lost)

i have no idea why the top names arent turning up next week but i reckon it is still based on this. there is a odd grumble about money from the federation as well. was very hard to find info for the team. hopefully we find out more later in the week when the tennis attention turns away from the Aus Open.

 

[BobbyMorri]

The draw has been released.

Day 1
Casey Dellacqua v Irina Khromacheva (254)
Sam Stosur v Veronika Kudermetova (697)

Day 2
Sam Stosur v Irina Khromacheva (254)
Casey Dellacqua v Veronika Kudermetova (697)

Doubles
Casey Dellacqua/Ash Barty v Victoria Kan/Valeria Solovyeva

Would be a good effort not to win this one. Molik has struggled to find up-to-date vision on these Russian players but the rankings indicate that they should be outclassed. but you just know Australia(stosur) will make a game out of it.

In other news, Myskina has indicated that the reason this is a 3rd teamsquad is because the other girls have won it twice and so they throwing the youngsters in the deep end for the future. Seemed alright to play these twice won girls last year though.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Will it be televised? If Sam chokes this away I don't want to miss it.

 

[matt_897]

Yeah, it's on FS1 tomorrow at 1pm I believe. Tennis comp will be heated out for me so ill be watching

 

[Amazing Bombers]

Casey wins the first set 6-0.

 

[Amazing Bombers]

6-0 2-0 i wonder what is going on with the Russian squad and why they didn't send any top 100 players. I mean Sharapova's in Sochi lol.

 

[matt_897]

Casey could of done this in her sleep

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Can't watch, Foxtel has ****ed itself for some reason. Doesn't sound like I'm missing much anyway.

 

[Amazing Bombers]

Break back to Kromacheva 2nd set Casey needs to be careful here.

 

[matt_897]

6-0, 6-2. Now Sam's turn.

 

[hirdy_is_champ]

Sam up a break 4-3 here, but playing shithouse. Serving very well, but that girl being ranked in the 600's has probably never seen a serve like that.

 

[matt_897]

She won 6-4, 6-0. Should be able to wrap it up tomorrow

 

[BobbyMorri]

Already 6-2 first Set for Stosur agaisnt Kan.

Germany looks likely to be the next opponent, as they are leading 2-0 against the Slovaks. Petkovic upset Cibulkova, while Kerber beat Hantuchova. i think that will be a home tie. (we played them in 2012 in Germany)

 

[pepsi]

Already 6-2 first Set for Stosur agaisnt Kan.

Germany looks likely to be the next opponent, as they are leading 2-0 against the Slovaks. Petkovic upset Cibulkova, while Kerber beat Hantuchova. i think that will be a home tie. (we played them in 2012 in Germany)

If it was a home tie, I think we should play it on clay.

Is this the easiest opposition any team could face to reach the SF of the Fed Cup? The Russian team are an extremely poor ITF standard level of players.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

If it was a home tie, I think we should play it on clay.

Is this the easiest opposition any team could face to reach the SF of the Fed Cup? The Russian team are an extremely poor ITF standard level of players.

Probably, but over half the teams in the world group look weak at the minute.

Italy - Giorgi, Knapp
USA - McHale, Keys
Spain - Torro-Florr, Suarez Navarro
Czech Republic - Zahlavova, Zakopalova
Russia - Khromacheva, Kudermetova, Kan

It's not a good look.

 

[BobbyMorri]

They getting better though. this one at least reached a hour of play. 0.58, 0.57 1.00 was the match times.

Saunders will play the singles now u reckon. that should be similar standard.

 

[pepsi]

Probably, but over half the teams in the world group look weak at the minute.

Italy - Giorgi, Knapp
USA - McHale, Keys
Spain - Torro-Florr, Suarez Navarro
Czech Republic - Zahlavova, Zakopalova
Russia - Khromacheva, Kudermetova, Kan

It's not a good look.

All those teams have at least 1 top 50 representative. The Russians ranked way down in the 100's.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

All those teams have at least 1 top 50 representative. The Russians ranked way down in the 100's.

I know, but that's different to the point I was making; most of the teams look average at best, especially since most of the above have much higher ranked players. It's not a good look for one of the only tournaments where players genuinely represent their countries.

 

[BobbyMorri]

no 4th singles match, but the 5th doubles is on as expected.

Kinda happy i didnt go in the end.

 

[matt_897]

If it was a home tie, I think we should play it on clay.
.

It's on an interesting spot on the calendar, the week before Stuttgart, a few factors will come into it, whether Sam will play it or even do what we did against the Swiss last year and play a home tie at their ground.

 

[tigers71]

no 4th singles match, but the 5th doubles is on as expected.



Kinda happy i didnt go in the end.

I saw a lot of empty seats on Saturday! Having 13 of your best players out does not justify why would you go to a Fed Cup!!! I really think it is time to put the event back to a week event like they did in the late '80's!! This event will never take off!! I really felt sorry for Anastasia Myskina!! Having so many young players and not having your best players available suck as Maria Sharapova, Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova!!

 

[BobbyMorri]

I saw a lot of empty seats on Saturday! Having 13 of your best players out does not justify why would you go to a Fed Cup!!! I really think it is time to put the event back to a week event like they did in the late '80's!! This event will never take off!! I really felt sorry for Anastasia Myskina!! Having so many young players and not having your best players available suck as Maria Sharapova, Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova!!

it got the same problem as the davis cup minus the prestige and 5 sets. ITF has to talk to the ATP/WTA to sort out how to keep them relevant to players.