[rujeltaoser]

02 Dec 2008
USTA select Surprise

The USTA have announced that Surprise in Arizona has been selected as the site for the 2009 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas tie against Argentina, February 7-8. The matches will be played at the Surprise Tennis and
Racquet Complex, which will be hosting a Fed Cup event for the first time. The arena received the 2008 USTA Outstanding Facility Award, and currently hosts an annual USTA Pro Circuit women’s event.

“We are thrilled to choose a community that loves tennis and Surprise will undoubtedly offer tremendous support to our U.S. Fed Cup team,” said Mary Joe Fernandez, who will make her debut as the U.S. Fed Cup captain. “We are eager to start the 2009 Fed Cup campaign in front of an enthusiastic and patriotic crowd.”

Tickets will go on sale to the general public in mid-December.

[spamkillerj]

NO. 3 AMERICAN SINGLES PLAYER BETHANIE MATTEK MAKES FED CUP DEBUT

WORLD NO. 1 DOUBLES PLAYER LIEZEL HUBER, JILL CRAYBAS

AND MELANIE OUDIN COMPLETE TEAM TO PLAY ARGENTINA

2009 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Quarterfinal Takes Place February 7-8 in Surprise, Ariz.

Single Session Tickets and Two-Day Packages Still Available

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., January 28, 2009 -- The USTA and U.S. Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez announced today that Phoenix resident Bethanie Mattek, the third-highest ranked American woman in the world, will make her Fed Cup debut alongside Liezel Huber, the world’s No. 1 doubles player, Jill Craybas, and fellow first-time Fed Cupper Melanie Oudin when they face Argentina in the 2009 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinal February 7-8 at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex in Surprise, Ariz.

The best-of-five match series begins on Saturday, February 7 with two singles matches and is followed by two reverse singles matches and the doubles match on Sunday, February 8. Tennis Channel will present live daily coverage beginning at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday. The U.S. won its last home Fed Cup tie in last year’s quarterfinal against Germany at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club in La Jolla, Calif.

“I am really excited about the team we are bringing to Surprise to begin our pursuit of the 2009 Fed Cup title," said Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez. “We have a great mix of experience with Jill and Liezel, and youth with Bethanie and Melanie. We anticipate a competitive match against Argentina with an enthusiastic and passionate home crowd supporting us."

Huber, 32, became a U.S. citizen on July 25, 2007, with the hopes of playing for the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games. She finished the 2007 season tied for No. 1 in the world doubles rankings and hasn’t surrendered the top spot since. Huber, born in South Africa, spent four years on the South African Fed Cup team and posted a 9-3 overall record (9-2 doubles) in 12 ties -- all on red clay. She won her only match for the U.S. in last year’s semifinal tie against Russia, also on red clay. Huber is a four-time Grand Slam doubles champion, including a win at last year’s US Open.

Mattek, 23, will make her inaugural appearance on the U.S. Fed Cup team. She had the best season of her career in 2008, rising over 70 spots in the Sony Ericsson WTA rankings. She reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, her best showing in a Grand Slam, before losing to Serena Williams. Mattek also reached her first tour final in Quebec City, Canada in November, and reached the semifinals in Birmingham, England, and Los Angeles, after which Mattek made her debut in the Top 50.

Craybas, 34, will be making her first appearance for the U.S. since the 2006 World Group semifinal tie against Belgium, which the U.S. lost. She made her Fed Cup debut in 2004 against Austria on red clay and owns a 2-4 career Fed Cup record, with a 1-3 record in singles. Craybas reached her first tour final in Pattaya City, Thailand, last February, and also won two doubles titles in 2008.

Oudin, 17, will also be making her U.S. Fed Cup team competitive debut against Argentina, as she was named a future Fed Cupper for the 2007 World Group semifinal versus Russia in Stowe, Vt. Oudin officially turned pro after the 2008 US Open Junior Championships, where she reached the semifinals as the No. 2 seed. She achieved her best result in a tour event in Quebec City, where she recorded her first win over a Top 50 player (Sybille Bammer) en route to the quarterfinals. She won her first professional title in July at the USTA Pro Circuit $50,000 event in Lexington, Ky., and also appeared in the semifinals at two other $50,000 events.

The U.S. and Argentina have met three times in Fed Cup competition with the U.S. owning a 2-1 advantage. All three previous meetings occurred before the Fed Cup went to its current best-of-five format. Argentina won the last meeting between the two nations in Frankfurt, Germany in the 1993 World Group quarterfinal. Ines Gorrochategui beat Lindsay Davenport and Florencia Labat defeated Lori McNeil to give Argentina an insurmountable 2-0 lead. The Argentines then lost to Australia in the semifinal.

Two-day and single-session tickets for the Fed Cup quarterfinal between the U.S. and Argentina are still available. Ticket prices range from $50 to $200 for two-day packages with single-session tickets starting at $30. Tickets can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (888) 334-USTA (8782), or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available at the Surprise Stadium Box office located at 15960 North Bullard Avenue in Surprise from 10am-5pm or at any Ticketmaster outlet.

Tickets can also be purchased in person this Saturday, January 31, from 12-3 p.m. MT at the Tennis Block Party being held at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex. Salespeople will be on-site in the Pro Shop to assist anyone wishing to buy tickets at the Block Party.

[Elelaytet]

The WG and WGII teams have been announced for this go around

http://www.fedcup.com/


Dementieva's back playing for Russia

Amelie is declared for France

[JakeBarkings]

The ITF has announced the team nominations for the 2009 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group and World Group II first round ties to be played on 7-8 February.

FIRST ROUND

RUSSIA v CHINA, P.R.
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Moscow, RUS (hard – indoors)

Russia
Elena Dementieva
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Anna Chakvetadze
Alisa Kleybanova
Captain: Shamil Tarpischev

China, P.R.
Jie Zheng
Zi Yan
Shuai Zhang
Tian-Tian Sun
Captain: Qi Zhang

FRANCE v ITALY
Venue: Palais Des Sports, Orleans, FRA (hard – indoors)

France
Alize Cornet
Amelie Mauresmo
Nathalie Dechy
Severine Bremond
Captain: Nicolas Escude

Italy
Francesca Schiavone
Flavia Pennetta
Sara Errani
Roberta Vinci
Captain: Corrado Barazzutti

USA v ARGENTINA
Venue: Surprise Racketball & Tennis Complex, Surprise, AZ, USA (hard – outdoors)

USA
Bethanie Mattek
Jill Craybas
Melanie Oudin
Liezel Huber
Captain: Mary-Joe Fernandez

Argentina
Gisela Dulko
Betina Jozami
Soledad Esperon
Aranza Salut
Captain: Ricardo Rivera

CZECH REPUBLIC v SPAIN
Venue: Brno Exhibition Centre, Brno, CZE (carpet – indoors)

Czech Republic
Iveta Benesova
Petra Kvitova
Lucie Safarova
Kveta Peschke
Captain: Petr Pala

Spain
Carla Suarez Navarro
Nuria Llagostera Vives
Maria-Jose Martinez Sanchez
Lourdes Dominguez-Lino
Captain: Miguel Margets Lobato

WORLD GROUP II FIRST ROUND

SLOVAK REPUBLIC v BELGIUM
Venue: Sibamac Arena, Bratislava, SVK (hard – indoors)

Slovak Republic
Dominika Cibulkova
Daniela Hantuchova
Magdalena Rybarikova
Lenka Wienerova
Captain: Matej Liptak

Belgium
Yanina Wickmayer
Kirsten Flipkens
Tamaryn Hendler
Sofie Oyen
Captain: Sabine Appelmans

SWITZERLAND v GERMANY
Venue: Saalsporthalle, Zurich, SUI (hard – indoors)

Switzerland
Patty Schnyder
Timea Bacsinszky
Stefanie Voegele
Nicole Riner
Captain: Severin Luthi

Germany
Sabine Lisicki
Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Kristina Barrois
Tatjana Malek
Captain: Barbara Rittner

SERBIA v JAPAN
Venue: Belgrade Arena, Belgrade, SRB (hard – indoors)

Serbia
Jelena Jankovic
Ana Ivanovic
Ana Jovanovic
Bojana Jovanovski
Captain: Dejan Vranes

Japan
Ai Sugiyama
Ayumi Morita
Aiko Nakamura
Rika Fujiwara
Captain: Minoru Ueda

UKRAINE v ISRAEL
Venue: Palace of Sports “Lokomotiv”, Kharkiv, UKR (hard – indoors)

Ukraine
Alona Bondarenko
Kateryna Bondarenko
Mariya Koryttseva
Olga Savchuk
Captain: Volodymyr Bogdanov

Israel
Shahar Peer
Tzipora Obziler
Julia Glushko
Chen Astrogo
Captain: Lior Mor

[Leczyslaw]

Venus and Serena are not playing?

[formobilagsw]

Venus and Serena are not playing?

That's a funny question. Both sisters have declined to play Fed Cup. Serena specifically said it is too soon after the Aussie Open for her.

But....do you really think they will play Fed Cup without Zina Garrison or play Fed Cup with Mary Jo Fernandez?

And given their close relationship with Zina and given that Zina is suing the USTA...is it really any surprise that they declined to play Fed Cup?

Maybe they will later...it will be interesting to see if they can work with Mary Jo "Oh how I love Maria Sharapova" Fernandez.

[spamkillerj]

JULIE DITTY, ALL-TIME LEADER IN USTA PRO CIRCUIT TITLES,
TO REPLACE BETHANIE MATTEK ON U.S. FED CUP TEAM

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., February 3, 2009 -- The USTA and U.S. Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez announced today that Julie Ditty, the all-time leader in USTA Pro Circuit titles, will replace Bethanie Mattek on the U.S. Fed Cup team when it faces Argentina in the 2009 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinal tie February 7-8 at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex in Surprise, Ariz.

Mattek, the third-highest ranked American in the world, was forced to withdraw from the event as she is still battling a hip injury that prevented her from playing in the Australian Open.

“It’s unfortunate that Bethanie won’t be able to participate," said Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez. “But we’re very lucky to be able to call on such an experienced player in Julie, and we hope Bethanie is able to join the team for a future tie."

Ditty, 30, became the all-time USTA Pro Circuit career title leader after sweeping both singles and doubles at the $75,000 event in Albuquerque, N.M., last September, and then proceeded to capture her 33rd title (nine singles) after winning doubles at the $50,000 event in Lawrenceville, Ga., the following month. She enjoyed arguably her best season as a pro in 2008, earning direct entry into the main draw of the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, and reached a career-high No. 89 singles ranking in March. Ditty will be competing in her first Fed Cup tie.

Two-day and single-session tickets for the Fed Cup quarterfinal between the U.S. and Argentina are still available. Ticket prices range from $50 to $200 for two-day packages with single-session tickets starting at $30. Tickets can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (888) 334-USTA (8782), or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available at the Surprise Stadium Box office located at 15960 North Bullard Avenue in Surprise from 10am-5pm or at any Ticketmaster outlet.

Fed Cup by BNP Paribas is the world’s largest annual international women’s team competition with 85 countries competing this year. The United States leads all nations with 17 Fed Cup titles -- the last coming in 2000 -- and is one of eight nations competing for the 2009 Fed Cup title as part of the Fed Cup World Group.

[rostpribru]

Early results from zonal Fed Cup ties (we don't have a thread, do we?):

Slovenia 2-0 Austria

Zec Peskiric def. Klaffner 6-0 6-2
Klepac def. Mayr 7-5 1-6 6-3

Belarus 1-1 Denmark

Govortsova def. Skak Jensen 7-6 7-6
Wozniacki def. Azarenka 6-3 6-3

Sweden 3-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Larsson def. Martinovic 6-1 6-1
Arvidsson def. Jugic-Salkic 6-2 6-3
Arvidsson/Larsson def. (?) 6-0 6-1

[RooxiaNof]

Early results from zonal Fed Cup ties (we don't have a thread, do we?):

Slovenia 2-0 Austria

Zec Peskiric def. Klaffner 6-0 6-2
Klepac def. Mayr 7-5 1-6 6-3

Belarus 1-1 Denmark

Govortsova def. Skak Jensen 7-6 7-6
Wozniacki def. Azarenka 6-3 6-3

Sweden 3-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Larsson def. Martinovic 6-1 6-1
Arvidsson def. Jugic-Salkic 6-2 6-3
Arvidsson/Larsson def. (?) 6-0 6-1

Wait til Pattaya and/or Memphis where they may meet again.

[alegsghed]

The french are practising at Roland GArros before going to Orléans where the tie against Italy is.

news here:
http://www.fft.fr/fed-cup/2009/france-italie/?id=4615

some fun practice pictures and articles and soon audios.



Allez les filles !!! :bleus:

[MaickiP]

Wozniacki def. Azarenka 6-3 6-3

Wow. That result surprises me.

Hmm, well actually, I'm surprised that Azarenka is playing so soon. So I guess it doesn't.

[PetraCromlich]

Tamarine Tanasugarn


Lee Ye-Ra of Korea


Jelena Dokic


Lee Jin-A of Korea


Samantha Stosur

[Lvnufcdc]

This is about the Asia/Oceania zone, not the world group. But I dont know what the right thread is.

India, without Sania Mirza, lost 0-3, both to New Zealand and Indonesia. Earlier, India had forbidden non-Indian passport holders from playing for India; so, Sunitha Rao and Shikha Oberoi could not play for the team.

Indonesia defeated Uzbekistan 2-1 in a surprise upset. So did New Zealand. New Zealand and Indonesia are to play next, with the winner qualifying for the final, probably against Australia.

[PetraCromlich]

Iran sent a team to Fed Cup for the first time in 37 years. They were bageled in singles but did fairly well while losing in doubles to Kazakstan but Ghazaleh Torkaman won 3 games in Iran's match against Singapore.




Madona Najarian

I see Nike is on the case. I'm guessing that they're wearing layers under the outfit to avoid the "headlights" effect. They're playing in Perth, Australia.

[PetraCromlich]

Team Russia


Team Israel


Team Britain

[PetraCromlich]

Elena Dementieva


Team China


Team Canada


A- Bond


K-Bond

[PetraCromlich]

Ellen Allgurin of Sweden


Team Hungary


Team France


Amelie


Domi and Dani

[PetraCromlich]

Team Serbia


Czech Team

[Doctorpills]

Elena Dementieva

I could look at this all day.

[spamkillerj]

Fed Cup Draws

WORLD GROUP FIRST ROUND

RUSSIA v CHINA, P.R.
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Moscow, RUS (hard – indoors)

Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) v Zi Yan (CHN)
Elena Dementieva (RUS) v Shuai Zhang (CHN)
Elena Dementieva (RUS) v Zi Yan (CHN)
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) v Shuai Zhang (CHN)
Anna Chakvetadze/Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) v Tian-Tian Sun/Zi Yan (CHN)

FRANCE v ITALY
Venue: Palais Des Sports, Orleans, FRA (hard – indoors)

Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) v Flavia Pennetta (ITA)
Alize Cornet (FRA) v Francesca Schiavone (ITA)
Alize Cornet (FRA) v Flavia Pennetta (ITA)
Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) v Francesca Schaivone (ITA)
Severine Bremond/Nathalie Dechy (FRA) v Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci (ITA)

USA v ARGENTINA
Venue: Surprise Racketball & Tennis Complex, Surprise, AZ, USA (hard – outdoors)

USA
Jullie Ditty
Jill Craybas
Melanie Oudin
Liezel Huber
Captain: Mary-Joe Fernandez

Argentina
Gisela Dulko
Betina Jozami
Soledad Esperon
Aranza Salut
Captain: Ricardo Rivera

CZECH REPUBLIC v SPAIN
Venue: Brno Exhibition Centre, Brno, CZE (carpet – indoors)

Petra Kvitova (CZE) v Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP)
Iveta Benesova (CZE) v Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)
Iveta Benesova (CZE) v Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP)
Petra Kvitova (CZE) v Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)
Iveta Benesova/Kveta Peschke (CZE) v Lourdes Dominguez-Lino/Maria-Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP)

WORLD GROUP II FIRST ROUND

SLOVAK REPUBLIC v BELGIUM
Venue: Sibamac Arena, Bratislava, SVK (hard – indoors)

Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) v Kirsten Flipkens (BEL)
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) v Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) v Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) v Kirsten Flipkens (BEL)
Dominika Cibulkova/Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) v Tamaryn Hendler/Sofie Oyen (BEL)

SWITZERLAND v GERMANY
Venue: Saalsporthalle, Zurich, SUI (hard – indoors)

Patty Schnyder (SUI) v Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER)
Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) v Sabine Lisicki (GER)
Patty Schnyder (SUI) v Sabine Lisicki (GER)
Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) v Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER)
Timea Bacsinszky/Patty Schnyder (SUI) v Kristina Barrois/Tatjana Malek (GER)

SERBIA v JAPAN
Venue: Belgrade Arena, Belgrade, SRB (hard – indoors)

Ana Ivanovic (SRB) v Ai Sugiyama (JPN)
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) v Ayumi Morita (JPN)
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) v Ai Sugiyama (JPN)
Ana Ivanovic (SRB) v Ayumi Morita (JPN)
Ana Ivanovic/Jelena Jankovic (SRB) v Ayumi Morita/Ai Sugiyama (JPN)

UKRAINE v ISRAEL
Venue: Palace of Sports “Lokomotiv”, Kharkiv, UKR (hard – indoors)

Alona Bondarenko (UKR) v Tzipi Obziler (ISR)
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) v Shahar Peer (ISR)
Alona Bondarenko (UKR) v Shahar Peer (ISR)
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) v Tzipi Obziler (ISR)
Mariya Koryttseva/Olga Savchuk (UKR) v Julia Glushko/Shahar Peer (ISR)