Fed Cup World Group ll: 1st round preview

Written by: Staff on 29th January 2011

Fed Cup World Group ll: 1st round preview

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP) |

Estonia vs SpainTere Tennis Club, Tallin, Estonia

Estonia: Kala Kanepi, Maret Ani, Margit Ruutel and Anett Kontaveit
Spain: Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Carla Suarez Navarro, Anabel Medina Garrigues and Nuria Llagostera Vives
This is the first meeting between Estonia and Spain in Fed Cup.

Estonia finds itself competing in a first round World Group II tie for the second straight year following defeat by Belgium in the World Group play-offs in April. At the same stage of the competition last year, the Estonians recorded a 4-1 victory over Argentina to give them a shot at a place in the World Group for the first time.

Five-time champion Spain is also making successive appearances in the World Group II first round. The Spanish were relegated from the top tier of the competition for the first time after being beaten by Serbia in the 2009 World Group play-offs. Spain made the Fed Cup Final nine times in the 1990s.
Slovenia vs GermanyLjudski vrt Sports Hall, Maribor, Slovenia
Slovenia: Polona Hercog, Masa Zec-Peskiric, Katarina Srebotnik and Tjasa Srimpf
Germany: Andrea Petkovic, Julia Goerges, Tatjana Malek and Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Slovenia and Germany are meeting for the first time in Fed Cup.

Slovenia earned promotion from Europe/Africa Zone Group I after beating Japan 4-1 in the play-offs. The Slovenians were last in the World Group in 2004 when they were knocked out of the women’s elite by Indonesia.

Germany has suffered from inconsistency since the restructure of Fed Cup in 2005 and is a far cry from the champion teams of 1987 and 1992. The German team systematically won promotion to the World Group in 2005, 2007 and 2009, but every time they have started the year in the top tier, they have been relegated. In 2010, Germany was beaten by Czech Republic in the first round and then relegated by France in the play-offs.

Serbia vs CanadaSpens Sports Center, Novi Sad, Serbia
Serbia: Bojana Jovanovski, Ana Jovanovic, Aleksandra Krunic and Tamara Curovic
Canada: Rebecca Marino, Aleksandra Wozniak, Stephanie Dubois and Marie-Eve Pelletier
Serbia and Canada have never played each other before in Fed Cup, although the two teams did meet in a World Group first round tie in 1980 when the Serbs were playing under the flag of the former Yugoslavia. The Yugoslavs emerged victors 2-1 on the day.

Serbia made its debut in the World Group in 2010 but lost both its ties at home: to Russia in the first round and to Slovak Republic in the play-offs. The Serbian team will be hoping they can replicate their 2009 form to bounce straight back into the top flight of Fed Cup.

Canada is appearing in World Group II for the first time. The Canadian team has only been beaten once in its last ten outings (by Belarus in the World Group II play-offs in 2008) and relegated Argentina with a 5-0 whitewash in April.

Sweden vs UkraineIdrottens Hus, Helsingborg, Sweden
Sweden: Sofia Arvidsson Johanna Larsson, Anna Brazhnikova and Sandra Roma
Ukraine: Kateryna Bondarenko, Olga Savchuck, Lesia Tsurenko and Yullya Beygelzimer
Sweden goes into this tie with a 2-0 lead over Ukraine following back-to-back wins in 1997 and 1998. On both occasions the tie went to the wire with the Swedes winning the decisive doubles rubber.

Sweden earned its place in World Group II with a 3-2 victory over China in April. The Swedes have reached the quarterfinals four times, but last appeared in the top tier of the ladies’ competition in 2003.

Ukraine made its World Group debut in 2010 but lost 1-4 to Italy in the first round and then failed to pick up a point in the play-off with Australia. Ukraine has won seven of its last ten Fed Cup ties.