Fed Cup Review: First Day

Here is a review of the first day of the first Fed Cup ties of the year (Argentina v USA is not included):



France v Italy: The Orleans crowd will go home feeling more than deflated from the action they saw today. During the afternoon, things looked like they couldn't go any better. Amelie Mauresmo was a set and a break up against her higher ranked opponent, Flavia Pennetta, and then Alize Cornet would take on Francesca Schiavone, ranked about twenty places lower than her. However, then Mauresmo lost her serve, and the second set. She looked as though she could redeem herself in the final set, when she led 4-1, but then she lost that too. The crowd was silent as Schiavone won the first set of her match 6-1, yet then Cornet halted this, and took a 4-0 lead in the second, which translated to 6-2 success. The final set was tense, and the pair traded breaks of serve early on, but it was Schiavone who prevailed, winning it 8-6. France will go home defeated as they know that these two matches today were within touching distance.


Flavia Pennetta (Italy) bt Amelie Mauresmo (France) 2-6, 7-6, 6-4
Francesca Schiavone (Italy) bt Alize Cornet (France) 6-1, 2-6, 8-6


Czech Republic v Spain: Last year's finalists Spain, without their top player Anabel Medina Garrigues, took on the Czech team, who were newcomers to World Group I. Carla Suarez Navarro, straight from her Melbourne conquests, looked erratic and off-form as she lost to teenager Petra Kvitova in straight sets. Iveta Benesova looked as though she would breeze through her match against Nuria Llagostera Vives when she romped through the first set 6-1. However, Llagostera Vives responded by winning the second by the same margin, and then took the third 6-4 to keep Spain afloat. There is a lot to play for tomorrow in Brno.

Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) bt Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 6-4, 6-4
Nuria Llagostera Vives (Spain) bt Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic) 1-6, 6-1, 6-4

Russia v China: The trophy that the Russians have treasured for the past four years out of five looks like it is going to stay in their cabinet. A weakened Chinese team, without Jie Zheng, Na Li or Shuai Peng, never looked a threat today against two top ten players, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Elena Dementieva. Kuznetsova opened the proceedings in Moscow against Zi Yan, and Yan put up a reasonable fight, but it was no match for Kuznetsova's power, and she won in straight sets. Dementieva looked even more supreme, taking apart Shuai Zhang with considerable ease. Unless the Williams girls show up, the trophy is surely Russia's, but what astounds us is that, unlike Serbia, Russia could have fielded their D team today and could probably have achieved the same result.

Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) bt Zi Yan (China) 6-2, 6-4
Elena Dementieva (Russia) bt Shuai Zhang (China) 6-3, 6-0

World Group II Results:

Serbia 2-0 Japan
A Ivanovic bt A Sugiyama 6-4, 6-4
J Jankovic bt A Morita 6-1, 6-0

Switzerland 1-1 Germany
P Schnyder bt AL Groenefeld 7-6, 6-3
T Bacsinszky l. to S Lisicki 0-6, 4-6

Slovakia 2-0 Belgium
D Cibulkova bt K Flipkens 7-6, 6-1
D Hantuchova bt Y Wickmayer 7-6, 6-3

Ukraine 1-1 Israel
A Bondarenko bt T Obziler 6-4, 6-4
K Bondarenko l. to S Peer 3-6, 7-6, 3-6

More Fed Cupdates

Jelena Jankovic has pleased the fans of Belgrade with a 6-1, 6-0 rout of Japan's Ayumi Morita. This follows Ana Ivanovic's victory over Ai Sugiyama earlier. Serbia lead 2-0.

Slovak Daniela Hantuchova beat Belgian number one Yanina Wickmayer 7-6, 6-3 to give Slovakia a 2-0 lead going into the final day in Bratislava.

Shahar Peer made things all square for Israel against the Ukraine after a 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 win over Kateryna Bondarenko in Kharkiv.

France's Alize Cornet lost the first set 6-1 to Italian Francesca Schiavone in World Group I, but is currently 2-0 up in the second in Orleans.

Sabine Lisicki evened the Germany-Switzerland tie following an easy 6-0, 6-4 victory over Timea Bacsinszky in Zurich

Fed Cupdate

Flavia Pennetta has won her match against Amelie Mauresmo. Mauresmo was seemingly heading for an easy victory as she was a set and a break up, but lost the match 2-6, 7-6, 6-4. What makes it more agonizing for Mauresmo is that she was 4-1 up in the final set with a break, but lost five games in a row. Italy now have a 1-0 lead.

Nuria Llagostera Vives won a topsy-turvy match against Iveta Benesova to put Spain back on track at 1-1. Despite losing the first set 6-1 to her Czech opponent, Llagostera Vives won the next two 6-1, 6-4 to record victory.

PTT Pattaya Women's Open

Vera Zvonareva, Caroline Wozniacki, Dominika Cibulkova and Sybille Bammer (where Nadia Petrova and Victoria Azarenka are, we have no idea) headline the field. Here is the main draw:

V Zvonareva (Rus) 1 vs A Klepac (Slo)
Y Shvedova (Kaz) vs T Paszek (Aut)
G Voskoboeva (Kaz) vs J Groth (née Gajdosova (Svk))
M Santangelo (Ita) vs S Peng (Chn) 5
S Bammer (Aut) 4 vs U Radwanska (Pol)
V Dushevina (Rus) vs E Bovina (Rus)
A Rodionova (Rus) vs Qualifier
N Lertcheewakarn (Tha) WC vs S Peer (Isr) 7
T Tanasugarn (Tha) 6 vs A Amanmuradova (Uzb)
J Moore (Aus) vs N Silva (Por)
S Mirza (Ind) vs N Lertpitaksinchai (Tha) WC
Qualifier vs D Cibulkova (Svk) 3
M Rybarikova (Svk) 8 vs K Date Krumm (Jpn)
Qualifier vs Qualifier
K Pervak (Rus) vs T Yonemura (Jpn)
Y-J Chan (Tpe) vs C Wozniacki (Den) 2

We would have to select Vera Zvonareva as the favourite, although her draw through to the semi finals could well be quite tricky. Wozniacki also looks like a good bet for the title, but she should watch out for Ksenia Pervak, the recently crowned Australian Open Girls champion. Home favourite Tamarine Tanasugarn has quite an easy draw for the first two rounds, but we doubt she would get past Dominika Cibulkova. We're looking forward to the Date Krumm and Rybarikova match, which has much potential.

Fed Cup Updates

World Group I:

Russia are firmly in command of their tie against China. Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Zi Yan 6-2, 6-4 and Elena Dementieva cruised past Shuai Zhang 6-3, 6-0 to record a 2-0 lead going into tomorrow.

Last year's finalists Spain are in danger of going out after their best player here, Carla Suarez Navarro, was surprisingly beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. Nuria Llagostera Vives lost the first set 6-1 to Iveta Benesova, but won the second set by the same score.

Amelie Mauresmo won the first set 6-2 for France against Flavia Pennetta of Italy, yet Pennetta retaliated and has just taken the second on a tie-break. Alize Cornet plays Francesca Schiavone later on today.

The USA will have to rely on a mix of experience and youth, as Mary Joe Fernandez's team takes on Argentina in Arizona later today. Jill Craybas, now 35, is scheduled to play Betina Jozami, whereas Melanie Oudin, who is 17 (we think), plays the highest ranked player here, Gisela Dulko.

World Group II:

Patty Schnyder has given Switzerland a 1-0 lead against Germany in Zurich by beating Anna Lena Groenefeld 7-6, 6-3. Timea Bacsinszky will play the higher ranked Sabine Lisicki in the hope of increasing that lead.

Dominika Cibulkova, the new Slovak number one (Hantuchova's had that for an age), defied a strong challenge in the first set from Belgian Kirsten Flipkens, but eased through the second to win 7-6, 6-1. Daniela Hantuchova will play teenager Yanina Wickmayer in the second tie.

Serbia can expect a massive turnout for their match in Belgrade (their first home tie ever) against Japan. Ana Ivanovic has just beaten Ai Sugiyama 6-4, 6-4. Ayumi Morita plays Jelena Jankovic later.

Ukraine are currently 1-0 up against Israel after Alona Bondarenko defeated Tzipora Obziler 6-4, 6-4. Sister Kateryna Bondarenko plays Shahar Peer later today.

Other:

In the competiton for the World Group play-offs, the ties are as follows:

Euro-Africa zone: Belarus v Estonia, Britain v Poland
Asia-Oceania zone: Australia bt New Zealand 3-0
Americas zone: Canada v Paraguay

Relegation - Euro-Africa: Luxembourg v Austria, Bulgaria v Bosnia-Herzegovina
Relegation - Americas: Puerto Rico v Brazil, Bahamas v Colombia
Relegation - Asia-Oceania: Chinese Taipei bt India 3-0 (Kazakhstan are to be promoted to the Asia-Oceania Group I next year)

Jankovic replaces Sharapova

After Maria Sharapova's withdrawal from the Open GDF Suez (and from the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships after that), Serbian Jelena Jankovic will be hoping to regain the number one ranking she recently lost to Serena Williams, who will also be in the field. Williams and Jankovic head a stellar field including players such as Elena Dementieva and rising star Alize Cornet.

Daniela Hantuchova's Lady Lumps

Oh no.

First, we'd like to thank Down The Line for this startling second picture, which prompted one of the commenters on their site to say that ol' Daniela Hantuchova here was breastfeeding Ai Sugiyama, an image I am sure you're all repulsed by (as are we). However, this is possibly the direst need we have ever seen for a bra. Her nipples are actually leaking in that second pic!