Doha Popular With Top Players But Hurting Fed Cup Field

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 27th January 2014

Doha Popular With Top Players But Hurting Fed Cup Field

epa04035431 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus reacts while playing against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 22 January 2014. EPA/NARENDRA SHRESTHA |

The WTA Premier 5 tournament in Doha, which starts Feb. 10, the day after Fed Cup weekend, is already wreaking havoc on the competition. Few players want to fly to the tournament on Sunday night or Monday and not all have byes. Victoria Azarenka of Belarus has already opted out of Fed Cup, Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic say they are doubtful for their tie with Canada in Montreal.

Russia’s Fed Cup team that will face Australia in Hobart in the first round is even weaker than the team that lost to Italy in the final. Coach Anastasia Myskina named Victoria Kan, Irina Khromacheva, Valeria Solovyeva, and Veronika Kudermetova, with Kan the highest ranked player at No. 157. Even though there are 13 Russian women ranked higher than them, Myskina says that she wants to go with a youth movement so she can help them learn to love the competition and stick with the team in the future. Australia’s team consists of Sam Stosur, Casey Dellacqua, Ash Barty and Storm Sanders.

None of Italy’s top four players (Sara Errani, Flavia Pennetta, Roberta Vinci and Francesca Schiavone) will face US in Fed Cup in Cleveland in three weeks’ time. Italy named Karin Knapp, Camila Giorgi, Nastassja Burnett and Alice Matteuchi to its team.

The United States has yet to name its full squad but Madison Keys has been asked to play and accepted. Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens of the US are considered doubtful because of injuries, as is Venus Williams. The US’s Bethanie Mattek-Sands has already declined. Other possibilities for captain Mary Joe Fernandez include Christina McHale, Alison Riske, Lauren Davis, and Varvara Lepchenko.

Topics: 10sballs, Ana Ivanovic, Casey Dellacqua, Doha, Fed Cup, Flavia Pennetta, Jelena Jankovic, Madison Keys, Roberta Vinci, Samantha Stosur, Sara Errani, Serena Williams, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Victoria Azarenka, Wta

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