The weekend of 15th and 16th July is the weekend for the Fed Cup semifinal ties and the World Group qualifications. Spain will host their meeting against Italy, and the Belgian team will welcome USA to their court. This is also the weekend for rubbers between the winners of World Group II and the losing teams of the World Group. The winners of the play off will qualify for the World Group in 2007.

Spain vs. Italy

Spain, the nation that has been Fed Cup champion for five times in the past, steamrolled over Austria with an overwhelming 5-0 victory. The city of Valencia witnessed how the Spanish Fed Cup team secured a place in the semifinal for the third consecutive year.

“There was a big gap between the top two teams and Spain in terms of points since Conchita and Aranxta left, but now, step-by-step, we are creeping closer to the top and to the best,” according to Spain’s team captain Miguel Margets.

Italy shocked the French team with a 4-1 victory. The French team, who has been the runner-up for the last two years, failed dramatically in front of the home crowd of Nancy. Francesca Schiavone won both of her singles matches against Nathalie Dechy and Amelie Mauresmo. She considered her win over Mauresmo as her most beautiful victory in her career so far. After Flavia Pennetta won her match against Nathalie Dechy, before losing to Amelie Mauresmo, the Italian team had a 3-1 lead. Winning the final doubles match did not contribute to their victory but added some more to the dramatic weekend the French team had.

France will now meet the Czech Republic to secure a place in the World Group. However, Amelie Mauresmo, who just won her first Wimbledon title, will not be competing in this meeting.

Belgium vs. USA

After defeating the defending Fed Cup champions Russia in Liege, the Belgian team will now meet the most successful Fed Cup nation ever with 17 Fed Cup championship titles The United States of America. In the coastal city of Ostend, Belgium will not come forward with the their best possible team this weekend. Runner-up in the Wimbledon final, Justine Henin-Hardenne, will not join the Belgian team against the USA. She stated that she was too tired to compete the first weekend after her two weeks in Wimbledon.

In Liege, Justine Henin-Hardenne played in her town of birth on her favourite surface. Clay was never the most favourite surface to play on for Clijsters, but she wanted Henin-Hardenne in the team. “It is only possible way to beat Russia, we need Justine in the team,” Clijsters had said. Without Henin-Hardenne, Kim Clijsters would not have played either. Henin-Hardenne won both her singles, securing the victory, beating both top ten players Nadia Petrova and Elena Dementieva.

“It’s the best team we could have dreamt of. I am very proud to defend the colours of my country,” Henin-Hardenne said after the successful defeat of the Fed Cup champions Russia.

USA marched on to the semifinal after they defeated Germany in their own court. Team captain Zina Garrison had none of the big names like Lindsay Davenport, Serena or Venus Williams, Jennifer Capriati or Meghann Shaughnessy on her team. Jamea Jackson, the 19 years old who made her debut on the team, impressively won both of her singles matches to establish the victory with 3-1 after defeating Martina Muller. Earlier Jill Craybas already defeated Julia Schruff, so the final doubles match became a mere formality.

World Group Play-offs

The winners of the World Group II will try to qualify for the World Group in 2007. They are playing against the World Group teams that lost in the 1st round.

Austria vs. Japan
France vs. Czech Republic
Germany vs. China P.R.
Russia vs. Croatia

World Group II Play-offs

The Zone Group I and World Group II losing teams will meet each other to qualify for 2007 World Group II.

Canada vs. Argentina
Indonesia vs. Israel
Slovak Republic vs. Thailand
Switzerland vs. Australia

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The World Group Playoffs will be underway this weekend as teams battle it out for a place in the World Group 2007.

World Group Playoffs

Japan vs Austria

The extremely experienced Japanese team will take on a weakened Austria team as only one of the players in the Austrian side has ever played for Fed Cup. The other nominees for the Europpean country include two unranked players aged 15 and 16, respectively Nikola Hofmanova and Melanie Klaffner. these two girls teens will play right nex to Barbara Schwartz the veteran who carries a 9-4 record in Fed Cup ties having claimed wins over Jelena Dokic, Lisa Raymond, Monica Seles, Megahnn Shaughnessy and Iva Majoli. Japan has one of the strongest teams in the playoffs with Sugiyama and Morigami, who have been making waves lately on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Sugiyama defeated Martina Hingis in the third round of Wimbledon and Morigami bea nadia petrova in the opening round of Roland Garros. In the head-to-head Japan leads the series 3-2, but Austria has claimed the last two meetings back in 1990 and 1986.

The nominees are:

Japan:

Ai Sugiyama

Akiko Morigami

Aiko Nakamura

Shinobu Asagoe

Sugiyama and Morigami will play singles while Sugiyama and Asagoe will play the doubles rubber together.

Austria:

Barbara Schwartz

Melanie Klaffner

Nikola Hofmanova

Schwartz and Klaffner will play singles and in the doubles rubber Klaffner will partner Hofmanova to face the Japanese team.

France vs Czech Republic

In one of the clashes that can bring an upset, relegated France will play the solid team from Czech Republic composed by teen star Nicole Vaidisova, Lucie Safarova, Kveta Peschke and Iveta Benesova. From France, and after Mauresmo’s withdrawal due to injury, Nathalie Dechy and Tatiana Golovin alongside with surprising Wimbledon surprise Severine Bremond and Emilie Loit will try to secure a World Cup berth. But this will be a tough tie. Teams are tied at 2 all with the last meeting coming in 2001 when France won 3-0. The two meetings Czech Republic won the country still didn’t exist as it was before Slovakia and Czech Republic became seperate countries.

The nominations are:

France:

Nathalie Dechy

Tatiana Golovin

Severina Bremond

Emilie Loit

Czech Republic:

Nicole Vaidisova

Lucie Safarova

Kveta Peschke

Iveta Benesova

China vs Germany

One of the emerging tennis nations will face off a traditional tennis country who has been slowly getting back to the old glory provided by Steffi Graf and Anke Huber. Groenefeld is their next generation player and looks very promising for the future. But this blonde hard-hitter will not take part in the tie. Germany is then exposed to the fearless tennis of the Chinese girls, who must be full with confidence after their Wimbledon breakthrough when Na Li advanced to the quarterfinals marking the first time any Chinese player went that deep into a Grand Slam. Germany, however, holds the head-to-head lead by 2-0.

The players nomiated for the squads are:

China:

Na Li

Tian Tian Sun

Jie Zheng

Zi Yan

Li and Zheng will play the singles rubbers while Sun/Yan will play the doubles rubber.

Germany:

Jasmin Woerh

Kathrin Woerle

Kristina Barrois

Tatiana Malek

Barrois and Woerle will play singles while Woerh and Malek are scheduled to play the doubles rubber.

Croatia vs Russia

It may look like a clean win by Russia, but look closer. Russia only holds one of their greatest, Elena Dementieva, all other players have yet to taste Fed Cup action with the exception of Duschevina. Crotia on the other hand will rely on big serving Karolina Sprem to carry the proceedings in favour of Croatia. Appearing on Fed Cup nominations for the first time are Elena Vesnina and Anna Chakvetadze. However, if Dementieva repeats her 2005 showing over France Crotia should better hand a walkover as almost a year ago the beautiful blone player rolled over Mary Pierce and Amelie Mauresmo in singles and doubles to pull off a 3-2 win for Russia in the final. In the ehad-to-head teams are tied at 1 all and their last meeting came in 2003 when Russian won 4-1, helped by Myskina and Dementieva.

The Official nominations:

Croatia:

Karolina Sprem

Ivana Lisjak

Sanja Ancic

Matea Mazek

Playing singles for Crotia will be surprisingly enough Ivana Lisjak and Sanja Ancic. For te doubles Sprem will partner Mazek.

Russia:

Elena Dementieva

Elena Vesnina

Anna Chakvetadze

Vera Duschevina

Dementieva and Chakvetadze will play singles while Vesnina and Duschevina will have the doubles honour.

Note that the scheduled players may be changed up to an hour before the rubber so the players assigned for singles and doubles can differ from the ones pointed above. For extra information go to: www.fedcup.com

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Technorati Tags: ai sugiyama, barbara schwartz, czech republic, Fed Cup 2006, fed cup, jelena dokic, martina hingis, monica seles, nadia petrova, nathalie dechy, nicole vaidisova, roland garros, tatiana golovin, wimbledon, world group, wta tour

The Fed Cup World Group semifinals will be underway this weekend with some interesting clashes lying ahead.

World Group Semifinals

Spain vs Italy

First there’s the Italy vs Spain, in what will certainly prove to be a fearless and ferocious clay battle between two of the most well prepared nations on this surface. These teams will sqaure off in Zaragoza, Spain and will play, as mentioned before on the red dirt. In the head-to-head department the series are tied at 2 all. But the head-to-head record is the least important aspect of the clash since every time these teams played each other it happened in early stages of the competition. On their way to the semifinals Spain defeated Austria 5-0, while Italy score probably one of the upsets of the tournament by defeating two time defending runner-up France 4-1.

The nominated players for this seminfinal are:

Spain:

Anabel Medina Garrigues

Lourdes Dominguez-Lino

Maria Sanchez Lorenzo

Virgina Ruano Pascual

Italy:

Francesca Schiavone

Mara Santagelo

Flavia Pennetta

Romina Oprandi

On the first day of competition Medina Garrigues will take on Pennetta, while Dominguez-Lino will battle Francesca Schiavone. On Sunday, it’s the reverse singles and on the doubles rubber Ruano Pascual/ Sanchez Lorenz will take on Santangelo/Oprandi. Spain is a five-time champion, but Italy is yet to claim their first victory.

USA vs Belgium

The other semifinal will feature a strong Belgium team led by Kim Clijsters after Justine Henin-Hardenne pulled out stating lack of fitness after consecutive weeks of high level tennis. Clijsters will count on the help of her unexperienced team mates Leslie Butkiewicz, Kirsten Flipkens and Carolina Maes. The American side sees its best players out of the competition. But the show must go on so carrying the flag for the USA will be the rookie team composed of tour veterans Jill Craybas and Mashona Washington and tour up-and-comers Vania King and Jamea Jackson. Jackson and Craybas may prove to be major help for the USA as both have beaten top players this year with Jackson beating Sharapova in straight sets in Birmigham and Craybas having beaten Clijsters in Miami earlier in the year. Both countries have experienced victory in the past, with Begium winning the title in 2001 and the USA having won already 17 titles since the competition first started but going on a draught since 2000. The Americans lead the series 4-0.

The nominated players are:

USA:

Jill Craybas

Mashona Washington

Vania King

Jamea Jackson

Belgium:

Kim Clijsters

Leslie Butkiewicz

Kirsten Flipkens

Carolina Maes

On Saturday Craybas will play Flipens, while Clijsters will take on Jamea Jackson. On Sunday we will have the reverse singles and on the doubles rubber Leslie Butkiewicz/Carolina Maes will square off with Vania King/Mashona Washington.

Note that the assigned players for each match can be changed until an hour before the rubber.

Technorati Tags: Fed Cup 2006

(Liege, Belgium) Kim Clijsters took the Belgium Fed Cup team to a 2-1 lead after she defeated Russian Maria Kirilenko in straight sets. After losing to Elena Dementieva, Clijsters had set her mind on winning, whatever it took. She was far from happy with her lost match on Saturday, and determined to take Belgium to 2-1. Kirilenko was the stand in for Nadia Petrova, who decided not to play. After her tournaments in the US, she didn’t feel physically strong enough to play another match against Clijsters.

Clijsters started aggressively from the start, hitting winners with her forehand and taking advantage of Kirilenko’s unforced errors. The Belgian took a 5-0 lead before Russia’s Kirilenko could hold her own service game. Clijsters finished the first set after 30 minutes of playing, 6-1.

In the second set Kirilenko showed some more resistance. The youngster from Moscow could keep up with Clijsters until 2 all and then lost her service game in the fifth game.

The Belgian No.1 held on to her service for 4-2, and she broke the Russian again for 5-2. Clijsters, however, could not serve out the match and lost her service game after Kirilenko hit a service return winner and a forehand winner at 30 all.

Kirilenko held on to her service in the ninth game for 5-4, but Clijsters didn’t fail to serve for the game, the set and the match this time. She closed the match after 72 minutes when Kirilenko hit a service return long, 6-1, 6-4.

“I had to focus on my own game. I didn’t do that yesterday against Dementieva,” Clijsters said. “I am obviously more satisfied than yesterday. Today I was dominating, and yesterday I let Dementieva dominate. That was wrong.

“I am prepared to play against the United States if we are going to win this meeting against Russia today. But first I will have to prepare to play the double,” the Belgian No.1 said.

Technorati Tags: elena dementieva, Fed Cup 2006, fed cup, kim clijsters, liege belgium, maria kirilenko, nadia petrova

(Liege, Belgium) Justine Henin-Hardenne defeated Russian Nadia Petrova and kept the Belgian hope for a victory alive after Kim Clijsters lost her first match against Elena Dementieva. Henin-Hardenne, the former No.1 of the world, won in 3 sets, 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-3.

Henin-Hardenne, who was born in Liege, came back for 4-1 in the first set, just in time to force a tiebreak against Russia’s Nadia Petrova, who is on a hot streak and won her fourth WTA Tour title last week. Belgians No. 2 lost the tiebreak 7-1 and looked somewhat outplayed by the athletic player from Russia.

In the following set Justine Henin-Hardenne was playing a better game of tennis, and she took the second set 6-4.

“Especially after the first set I was getting tired,” Petrova said. “I didn’t feel quite recovered yet from the previous tournaments I playe, and she played some very good points.”

In the deciding third set Henin-Hardenne took a 3-0 lead and started to play better but asked for a medical timeout after the third game. After serving a double fault at 30 all in the fifth game, Henin did let the Russian come back into the set. Petrova took that chance and came back to 3-2. She hit a ball against the net cord which gave the ball an awkward bounce, and the Belgian did not reach it in time.

At breakpoint for a 4-2 lead, Henin-Hardenne missed the first chance to break; she played the ball wide. Petrova took advantage in return, but the Belgium tied it to deuce.

The next rally was for the Russian again after Henin hit the ball into the net. For the second time, Petrova did not use this advantage, and Henin was on deuce again. After a double fault, the Belgian was on break point again, but this time she hit the ball long.

The next break point went to Henin-Hardenne, who took a 4-2 lead after she won a rally that forced Petrova to hit long. In the following game she held on to her service and a comfortable 5-2 lead. Petrova was under pressure; she had to hold on to her service game to stay in the match.

The first point of the eighth game was a solid winner by the Belgian, but a good winner played by Petrova, answered that point in style. After three unforced errors hit by Henin, Petrova came back to 5-3.

Justine Henin-Hardenne was serving to win the match and trying to keep the Belgian team in the race to win the Cup tie. With a well-placed backhand, she scored the first point. The second point scored, for 30-0, was when Petrova returned the Belgian service into the net. Henin-Hardenne reached matchpoint after Petrova was forced outside the court lines and hit the ball into the net again.

On Henin-Hardenne’s first match point, Petrova again was forced to go outside the court lines after a solid backhand by the Belgian. Petrova could not return to ball and hit it into the net again. Game, set and match for the Belgian Fed Cup team, and Henin-Hardenne had kept the Belgian hope alive.

Belgium won the second match of the day 6-7, 6-4 and 6-3. The teams are tied one all after Elena Dementieva defeated Kim Clijsters in straight sets, 6-3 and 6-4.

Technorati Tags: elena dementieva, Fed Cup 2006, justine henin hardenne, kim clijsters, liege belgium, nadia petrova, wta tour