****** EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ******
* Russia Fed Cup team is filled with unknown players / Olympics in Sochi. Is it really such a huge surprise ? Above is a photo of Maria Sharapova’s feet. She is standing on the shore of the Black sea watching dolphins swim and enjoying the snow covered mountains. Good girl. Exciting for her. Where the rest of the ladies are ? Busy schedules ?
****** TODAY’S WOMEN’S NEWS ******
Fed Cup
Australian Samantha Stosur is baffled by the lack of name recognition of a Russian team of total unknowns which will face Australia in Tasmania in weekend Fed Cup first-round play. Top Russian is the anonymous Victoria Kan on No. 158 and playing for a nation boasting six players in the top 35.
Almost all of the Russian women were unavailable for the tie, with Maria Sharapova most notably doing TV color work at the Sochi Olympics. Also playing for the visitors: No.650 Veronika Kudermetova and 259th-ranked Valeria Solovyeva. “To be honest I only know one of the players and don’t know anything about her game,” Stosur said after training in Hobart. “I’ve never seen the others before.”
Australia feature Stosur along with Casey Dellacqua and Ashleigh Barty, both of whom have played one of the Russians before. Also onside for Australia is Storm Sanders. “They’ve got nothing to lose against us and I’m sure they’re going to give it everything they’ve got,” said the 16th-ranked Stosur of the Russian minnows.
In other first-round ties, Italy play the US in Cleveland, the Czech Republic (missing Petra Kvitova who is still ill) take on Spain and Germany plays the Slovaks in
THIS WEEK ON THE WTA:
Fed Cup
NEXT WEEK ON THE WTA:
Doha (Premier Five/Hard). Defending Champion: Victoria Azarenka
************ STATS AND FACTS ************
Rankings
Estimated WTA Rankings As of February 4, 2014
Rank &
Prior
Rank …Name …………. Points
1..(1) SWilliams ……… 13000
2..(2) Azarenka ………..6581
3..(3) Li ……………..6570
4..(4) ARadwanska ………5750
5..(5) SHARAPOVA ……… 5600
6..(6) Kvitova ……….. 4745
7..(7) ERRANI ………….4425
8..(8) Jankovic ………..4310
9..(9) KERBER ………….4030
10.(10) HALEP …………. 3760
11.(11) Wozniacki ……… 3370
12.(12) Ivanovic ………..3160
13.(13) Cibulkova ……… 3056
14.(14) VINCI …………. 3020
15.(15) LISICKI ……….. 2820
16.(17) Stosur ………….2705
17.(16) SUAREZ NAVARRO …..2685
18.(18) Stephens ………..2415
19.(19) Bouchard ………..2369
20.(21) FLIPKENS ………..2295
21.(26) PAVLYUCHENKOVA …..2240*
22.(22) Pennetta ………..2165
23.(28) MAKAROVA ………..2080*
24.(20) Kirilenko ……… 2046
25.(25) CORNET ………….1985
26.(23) CIRSTEA ……….. 1950
27.(24) Kanepi ………….1932
28.(27) Safarova ………..1785
29.(29) KUZNETSOVA ………1741
30.(31) HANTUCHOVA ………1625
Draws
******** SCORES ********
TUESDAY
FED CUP
EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP I
Venue: Syma Event and Congress Centre, Budapest, Hungary (hard – indoor)
Pool A
Belgium defeated Luxembourg 3-0
Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) d. Claudine Schaul (LUX) 61 67(5) 61
Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. Anne Kremer (LUX) 64 64
An-Sophie Mestach/Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. Anne Kremer/Claudine Schaul (LUX) 62 62
Netherlands defeated Croatia 3-0
Richel Hogenkamp (NED) d. Petra Martic (CRO) 46 75 75
Kiki Bertens (NED) d. Donna Vekic (CRO) 62 64
Kiki Bertens/Michaella Krajicek (NED) d. Darija Jurak/Petra Martic (CRO) 75 62
Pool D
Belarus defeated Turkey 3-0
Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) d. Pemra Ozgen (TUR) 64 63
Olga Govortsova (BLR) d. Cagla Buyukakcay (TUR) 75 36 76(6)
Ilona Kremen/Iryna Shymanovich (BLR) d. Cagla Buyukakcay/Pemra Ozgen (TUR) 75 61
Portugal defeated Bulgaria 2-1
Maria Joao Koehler (POR) d. Isabella Shinikova (BUL) 36 61 64
Michelle Larcher de Brito (POR) d. Elitsa Kostova (BUL) 46 62 76(3)
Isabella Shinikova/Viktoriya Tomova (BUL) d. Barbara Luz/Ines Murta (POR) 62 75
ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP II
Venue: National Tennis Centre, Astana, KAZ (hard – indoor)
Pool A
Malaysia defeated Vietnam 2-1
Hao Thi Tam Tran (VIE) d. Aslina Chua An Ping (MAS) 63 75
Alyssa Boey (MAS) d. Khanh Phi Huynh (VIE) 63 62
Alyssa Boey/Aslina Chua An Ping (MAS) d. Khanh Phi Huynh/Hao Thi Tam Tran (VIE) 63 75
Pool B
Philippines defeated Singapore 3-0
Anna Clarice Patrimonio (PHI) d. Geraldine Ang (SIN) 63 60
Marian Jade Capadocia (PHI) d. Rheeya Doshi (SIN) 64 61
Marian Jade Capadocia/Anna Clarice Patrimonio (PHI) d. Geraldine Ang/Rheeya Doshi (SIN) 61 61
Pool C
Turkmenistan defeated Iraq 2-1
Jahana Bayramova (TKM) d. Halla Alajeely (IRQ) 60 76(1)
Anastasiya Prenko (TKM) d. Ghada Alajeely (IRQ) 61 60
Ghada Alajeely/Halla Alajeely (IRQ) d. Jahana Bayramova/Guljahan Kadyrova (TKM) 62 62
Pool D
India defeated Iran 3-0
Rishika Sunkara (IND) d. Ghazaleh Torkaman (IRI) 60 60
Prarthana G. Thombare (IND) d. Sahar Amini Hajibashi (IRI) 76(3) 60
Ankita Raina/Rishika Sunkara (IND) d. Sadaf Sadeghvaziri/Ghazal Pakbaten (IRI) 60 61
New Zealand defeated Pakistan 3-0
Dianne Hollands (NZL) d. Ushna Suhail (PAK) 61 60
Marina Erakovic (NZL) d. Sara Mansoor (PAK) 60 61
Abigail Guthrie/Emma Hayman (NZL) d. Maheen Dada/Rida Khalid (PAK) 60 61
***
Topics: 10sballs, Ashleigh Barty, Casey Dellacqua, Fed Cup, Maria Sharapova, Samantha Stosur, Sochi Olympics, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Victoria Azarenka