Russia Creates A Fed Cup Team

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 24th October 2013

Russia Creates A Fed Cup Team

epa03671839 Ekaterina Makarova (L) and Elena Vesnina (R) of Russia in action during their doubles match against Daniela Hantuchova and Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in their the Tennis Federation Cup semifinal match between Russia and Slovakia in Moscow, Russia, 21 April 2013. EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV |

Russia finally managed to cobble together a team to face Italy in next week’s Fed Cup but the four times champions whose players dominated the WTA top 20 just a few years ago, have been reduced to naming 138th-ranked Alexandra Panova as the leading singles player.

With second ranked Maria Sharapova sidelined until next year with shoulder issues, and the experienced likes of Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova and Maria Kirilenko refusing to play, Shamil Tarpischev (long-time Fed Cup and Davis Cup captain and president of the Russian Tennis Federation for 22 years) was left virtually powerless and already resigned to defeat in Cagliari, Sardinia.

Italy is set to have a full-strength team with Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci, Flavia Pennetta and Karin Knapp forming the quartet picked by their captain Corrado Barazzutti, who is even so spoiled for choice he can afford to leave out former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone.

By contrast Tarpischev said: “We practically have no chance to win the title.” And he told the Russian newspaper Sport-Express he cannot blame the players for their refusal to play.

“’We are not football or ice hockey players,” continued Tarpischev. “Even if we win in Cagliari, no one will pay much attention to our victory. So we are going not to win but to warm up our young players.”

Tarpischev has named 2011 ITF Junior World Champion Irina Khromacheva and 2010 Junior Fed Cup champion Margarita Gasparyan while Alisa Kleybanova has clearly had second thoughts on her initial decision not to play because she didn’t particularly want to set foot on clay at this time of the year.

Money would appear to be the root of the problem. Two times Grand Slam champion Kuznetsova clearly does not feel the Russian Tennis Federation are prepared to provide sufficient remuneration and Petrova who is this week in Istanbul, contesting the four-team doubles event in the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships alongside Slovenia’s Katarina Srebotnik, doesn’t want a swift change of surface.

The most pertinent questions should be asked of Kirilenko, Elena Vesnina and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova all prefer to play the WTA’s second tier Championships, the Tournament of Champions in Sofia alongside Simona Halep, Alize Cornet, Samantha Stosur, and wild cards Ana Ivanovic and Tsvetana Pironkova.

Kirilenko was reported as saying she didn’t think she would be fit enough to play the Fed Cup but is prepared for at least three matches in Sofia where her earning potential is far greater.

Topics: 10sballs.com, Alexandra Panova, Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Irina Khromacheva, Maria Kirilenko, Maria Sharapova, Nadia Petrova, Russia, Shamil Tarpischev, Svetlana Kuznetsova, TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships, Tennis, Tennis News, Wta