The 43rd edition of the Federation Cup started last April 22, 2006 with defending champion Russia taking on Belgium in the first round.2005 runner-up France is up against Italy, while an under-rated team of the USA clobbered the German team in its home soil, and the Spanish armada made a headstart with a 2-0 score against Austria.

The Russian team is composed of Nadia Petrova, Elena Dementieva, Maria Kirilenko and Dinara Safina, Hoping to advance into the semifinals, the Belgian team is bannered by Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin-Hardenne, Kirstan Flipkens, and Caroline Maes. As of this writing, Russia and Belgium are tied at 1-1.

Meanwhile, 2005 runner-up France represented by Amelie Mauresmo, Natalie Dechy, Emily Loit, and Virginne Razzano, leveled the score with the Italian team spearheaded by Francesca Schiavoni, Flavia Pennetta, Mara Santangelo and Roberta Vinci. The hometown favorite,the French team, will be hoping to sweep the match past the Italian team to advance into the next round.

The US team, headed by Jill Craybas, together with unknown players Jamea Jackson, Shelhay Perry and Vania King shrugged off hometown favorite Germany by leading the score with 2-0. The German team is composed of Anna Lena Groenefeld, Julia Schruff, Martina Muller and Jasmin Woeker.

In Spain, the Spanish team delighted its hometown crowd by sweeping the first two matches past Austria at 2-0. The Spanish armada is made up of Anabel Medina Garrigues,Lourdes Dominguez-Lino, Maria Sanchez Lorenzo, and Virginia Ruano Pacual. While the Austian team is composed of Sybille Bammer, Yvonne Meusburger, Tamira Paszek, and Sandra Klemenschits.

Elena Dementieva has been nominated for the Russian squad who’s taking on Belgium later this month in Liege, Belgium, from 22 to 23 of April. Other players making up the team for Russian are number two from Russia Nadia Petrova, Maria Kirilenko, the 2005 Beijing winner and Dinara Safina, who together with Dementieva sealed last year’s win for Russia by winning the decisive doubles rubber over France. From the Belgium side the major threat will certainly come from former world number one’s Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Dementieva is known to be a fierce competitor especially when playing for her country. A major example of that was her huge effort last year over France when she beat both Mary pierce and Amelie Mauresmo before partnering Safina to take the decisive doubles rubber.

But in the last time these two teams met Elena wasn’t very happy in the outcome. Belgium leads the Head-to-head by 2-1, the last clash being in 2001 when Belgium claimed the title in the final over Russia. In that tie four of the eight players assigned for this year’s tie contested the final, these being none other than Petrova and Dementieva for Russia and Clijsters and Henin for Belgium. Henin beat Petrova 6-0; 6-3, while Clijsters beat Dementieva 6-0; 6-4.

However, recent matches, especially between Dementieva and the two Belgians stars, may turn the tables around. Dementieva beat Clijsters later last year in Filderstadt and forced the Belgian to three sets again in Antwerp this year before falling. Also, in the semis of Indian Wells Elena came back from the brink of defeat versus Henin to claim a hard-fought 2:6; 7:5; 7-5 victory in almost three hours.

Petrova’s statistics against Clijsters are not encouraging as well as in four previous meeting she only managed to take one set away from the Belgian. Against Henin-Hardenne Petrova has tasted victory only once in eight career meetings.

As for Kirilenko and Safina they have never beaten one of the two Belgian leaders with Kirilenko coming closer in a tight three setter last year in Berlin versus Henin-Hardenne.

For more information please visit www.fedcup.com.

The ITF has announced the team nominations for the 2006 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group and World Group II first round ties to be played on 22-23 April.

Live scoring for all World Group and World Group II ties will be available on the Fed Cup website throughout the weekend. Fed Cup by BNP Paribas is the largest annual international team competition in women’s sport, with 89 nations entered in 2006. The event was established in 1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the ITF. The title sponsor is BNP Paribas, the Official Bank of Fed Cup, while Wilson Sporting Goods (Official Ball) is an international partner.

WORLD GROUP FIRST ROUND

FRANCE v ITALY
Venue: Nancy, France (clay – indoors)

France
Amelie Mauresmo
Nathalie Dechy
Emilie Loit
Virginie Razzano
Captain: Georges Goven

Italy
Francesca Schiavone
Flavia Pennetta
Mara Santangelo
Roberta Vinci
Captain: Corrado Barazzutti

SPAIN v AUSTRIA
Venue: Valencia, Spain (clay – outdoors)

Spain
Anabel Medina Garrigues
Lourdes Dominguez-Lino
Maria Sanchez Lorenzo
Virginia Ruano Pascual
Captain: Miguel Margets

Austria
Sybille Bammer
Yvonne Meusburger
Tamira Paszek
Sandra Klemenschits
Captain: Alfred Tesar

GERMANY v USA
Venue: Ettenheim, Germany (clay – outdoors)

Germany
Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Julia Schruff
Martina Muller
Sandra Kloesel
Captain: Barbara Rittner

USA
Jill Craybas
Jamea Jackson
Shenay Perry
Vania King
Captain: Zina Garrison

BELGIUM v RUSSIA
Venue: Liege, Belgium (clay – indoors)

Belgium
Kim Clijsters
Justine Henin-Hardenne
Kirsten Flipkens
Caroline Maes
Captain: Carl Maes

Russia
Nadia Petrova
Elena Dementieva
Maria Kirilenko
Dinara Safina
Captain: Shamil Tarpischev

WORLD GROUP II FIRST ROUND

JAPAN v SWITZERLAND
Venue: Tokyo, Japan (hard – indoors)

Japan
Ai Sugiyama
Aiko Nakamura
Akiko Morigami
Shinobu Asagoe
Captain: Minoru Ueda

Switzerland
Timea Bacsinszky
Stefania Boffa
Stefanie Vogele
Nicole Riner
Captain: Severin Luthi

CROATIA v ARGENTINA
Venue: Zagreb, Croatia (carpet – indoors)

Croatia
Karolina Sprem
Ivana Lisjak
Matea Mezak
Sanja Ancic
Captain: Goran Prpic

Argentina
Mariana Diaz-Oliva
Natalia Gussoni
Maria-Jose Argeri
Captain: Ricardo Rivera

THAILAND v CZECH REPUBLIC
Venue: Nonthaburi, Thailand (hard – outdoors)

Thailand
Suchanun Viratprasert
Napaporn Tongsalee
Montinee Tangphong
Nudnida Luangnam
Captain: Vittaya Samrej

Czech Republic
Nicole Vaidisova
Klara Koukalova
Iveta Benesova
Barbora Strycova
Captain: Tomas Petera

INDONESIA v CHINA, P.R.
Venue: Jakarta, Indonesia (hard – outdoors)

Indonesia
Angelique Widjaja
Romana Tedjakusuma
Ayu-Fani Damayanti
Septi Mende
Captain: Suzanna Anggarkusuma

China, P.R.
Na Li
Shuai Peng
Jie Zheng
Zi Yan
Captain: Hong Wei Jiang

The Swiss Fed Cup team will miss it’s two biggest assets as Martina Hingis and Patty Schnyder have both rejected the invites of the Fed Cup team captain.

Swiss now plays Japan with an inexperienced team with 16 year old Timea Bacsinsky as the captain. Bacsinsky is the number 341 in the world and has so far 8 Fed Cup matches on her resume.

Joining Bacsinsky is unranked Stefanie Voegele, another 16 year old who has played 2 Fed Cup matches for Swiss so far.

Completing the team are Stefania Boffa (17) who is ranked 771 in the world and 15 year old Nicole Reiner.

“They are both young, have great potential for development and are determined to make their mark on the professional circuit,” said head coach Ivo Werner.

Meanwhile the Swiss Tennis Federation said they will continue their efforts to persuade Martina Hingis and Patty Schnyder to join the Swiss FedCup team for the play offs in July.

Patty Schnyder couldn’t take the last stage to the title at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston. Another three set battle in the heat on the court was too much for the Swiss who lost in the final against the second seeded Nadia Petrova 3-6 6-4 1-6.

The Russian, who captured the fourth singles title in her career, won the second consecutive tournament on the green clay after Amelia Island last week.

“I must say I can’t believe myself I’ve done it”, said the 23-year old Petrova, who was in trouble during the second set. “I was really feeling bad today, I think it was the heat. In the second set I had difficulties to move on court.”

In the first set Petrova broke the number three seed Swiss to a 2-1 lead and at 5-3 she broke her again to the win of the set. In the second set Patty broke her opponent in the opening game. The Russian got now problems with the heat and took a timeout. After that she failed two break chances and the Swiss won the second set 6-4. The decisive third set started after a 10-minute break in play due to the heat. Now it was the Russian who better got along with the conditions. She broke the Swiss early to a 3-0 lead. Now Patty hadn’t the power to come back and after another break to 5-1 it was over for the Swiss. With her sixth matchpoint finally Petrova finished the match.

“I feel my game is taking a new level”, said the new Champion from Russia, who will now continue her success at the european clay-courts. “I’m really looking forward to the red clay”.

“I could feel the heat but I could run and I would have been ready to go for one more hour or have tough rallies in a row,” commentated the disappointed Swiss. “But I missed too many balls and I could not handle the pressure because her strokes are so powerful and very deep.”

After 2002 against Craoatia’s Iva Majoli, the Swiss lost for the second time a final in Charleston. Even though, the Family Circle Cup is one of Pattys favourite tournaments. This year she played there for the tenth consecutive time and she said she really like this place. “I feel at home here, I wish we could play more weeks here. They make me feel at home, and it’s few weeks where you really feel that support, and I’m proud of it.” After a break of two weeks Patty will make her start in the european clay-court season at the J & S Cup in Warsaw, which starts on May 1.