Fed Cup 2012 – Women’s Look Forward

Written by: Staff on 4th February 2012

Fed Cup 2012 - Women's Look Forward

Kim Clijsters of Belgium hits a return in her women's quarterfinals match against Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 24 January 2012. EPA/MAST IRHAM |

The eternal question in Fed Cup is, who will show up? That goes at least double for Russia, since they are incredibly strong when at full strength but can get weaker fast.

This year, when they are hosting Spain, they have a mixed bag. They have Maria Sharapova (assuming she can bounce back from the Australian Open), but their other Top Ten player, Vera Zvonareva, isn’t planning to attend. So Svetlana Kuznetsova is their #2, with Nadia Petrova and Ekaterina Makarova expected to play doubles.

Of course, Spain isn’t at its best either. Anabel Medina Garrigues isn’t playing. That put most of the weight of expectations on Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez — but she missed the Australian season and had to withdraw after the initial lineups were released. The rest of the team is Carla Suarez Navarro, Arantxa Parra Santonja, and Nuria Llagostera Vives. Silvia Soler-Espinosa got the call after Martinez Sanchez pulled out — and is now listed as playing #2 singles behind Suarez Navarro. The Russians are the clear and strong favorites, but there are players on their team who are amazingly good at making life tough for themselves.

Belgium and Serbia, who will face each other in Belgium, also feature teams missing a key player each. Belgium lacks Kim Clijsters; Serbia is without Ana Ivanovic, who cites illness. Belgium does have Yanina Wickmayer, but the rest of the team is Kirsten Flipkens, Tamaryn Hendler, and Alison Van Uytvanck (who, after a meteoric career in Challengers a couple of years ago, has turned human). Serbia’s team is headed by Jelena Jankovic, but her backups are slumping Bojana Jovanovski, Aleksandra Krunic, and Natalija Kostic. Frankly, we haven’t a clue what to expect from that.

Italy, which will host the Ukrainians on indoor clay, is out in force: Francesca Schiavone, Flavia Pennetta, Sara Errani, and Roberta Vinci. Interestingly, the Italians chose to play Errani rather than Pennetta in singles; Pennetta is having back troubles again. It probably won’t matter. The poor Ukrainians have only Kateryna Bondarenko, Lesia Tsurenko, Olga Savchuk, and Yuliya Beygelzimer. If there is a 5-0 sweep in World Group I, that’s likely to be it.

The tie between Germany and the Czechs, being hosted by the Germans on an indoor hardcourt, may be the most interesting of all. The Czechs have the top player in the tie in Petra Kvitova. But the Germans, with Sabine Lisicki, Julia Goerges, and Angelique Kerber (plus Anna-Lena Groenefeld for doubles) are clearly the deeper team. The Czechs have three good doubles players in Iveta Benesova, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, and Lucie Hradecka, but no obvious #2 singles player (they settled on Benesova). So it is quite likely that Kvitova will win both her singles matches, the Germans both of the others, and that it will come down to the doubles. The Czechs certainly have the advantage there, but it’s a very thin margin.

Serena Williams clearly is planning for the Olympics. Hence her decision to play for the Americans, even though they are stuck in World Group II. Venus Williams also hopes to return to action there; she is said to finally be fit. Christina McHale, the best of the young Americans, is also on the team, with Liezel Huber for doubles. They will be playing Belarus — which has Victoria Azarenka, but not much else. The rest of that team is Anastasia Yakimova, Olga Govortsova, and Darya Kustova. If the Williams Sisters are on their games, the Americans should win. But are they on their games?

Japan’s team is probably deeper than the Slovene team it will be hosting, but the Slovenes have the top player in Polona Hercog. Their problem is that the supporting cast is Petra Rampre, Nastja Kola, and Andreja Klepac. Their captain Maja Matevzic, if she could stay healthy, might still be somewhat better than her players…. Japan will answer with Ayumi Morita, Kimiko Date-Krumm, Kurumi Nara, and Rika Fujiwara.

The Slovaks, who will be hosting France, have their two big guns, Dominika Cibulkova and Daniela Hantuchova; Magdalena Rybarikova and Jana Cepelova round out the team. France doesn’t have Marion Bartoli; they will have to rely on Pauline Parmentier, Virginie Razzano, Alize Cornet, and Kristina Mladenovic (a late replacement for Aravane Rezai). Talk about a struggling lineup of once-strong players…. The current plan is for Parmentier and Razzano to play singles.

The good news for Switzerland is that they’re supposed to have Timea Bacsinszky back. But if she is able to play, she will surely be covered with rust — and the rest of the team is Stefanie Voegele, Amra Sadikovic, and Belinda Bencic. Australia will answer with Samantha Stosur, Jarmila Gajdosova, Jelena Dokic, and Casey Dellacqua. That sounds like a sweep.

Topics: Fed Cup 2012