Russia Creates A Fed Cup Team

Written by: on 24th October 2013
Russia vs Slovakia
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 Top Stories

In Case You Missed It

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA thumbnail

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA

Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday that Eugenie Bouchard is the winner of the 2018 Excellence Awards in the Female Player of the Year and Singles Player of the Year categories.
TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE

Time to get tickets to watch! Surly you have heard about The Largest Open Tennis Event in America!
TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER thumbnail

TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER

According to Uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal was supposed to be back at practice on either Dec. 4 or 5. Well, better late than never!
Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife thumbnail

Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife

Española y checa ya trabajaron juntas durante el pasado Open de Estados Unidos
ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS thumbnail

ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia hits a forehand to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during her second round match at the Nature Valley International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, Great Britain, on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.