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Post by Brinyi on Jan 31, 2012 15:39:42 GMT -5
World Group I
Russia v Spain
Russia Maria Sharapova Svetlana Kuznetsova Nadia Petrova Ekaterina Makarova Shamil Tarpischev (captain)
Spain Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez Carla Suarez Navarro Arantxa Parra-Santonja Nuria Llagostera Vives Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (captain)
Belgium v Serbia
Belgium Yanina Wickmayer Kirsten Flipkens Tamaryn Hendler Alison Van Uytvanck Ann Devries (captain)
Serbia Jelena Jankovic Bojana Jovanovski Aleksandra Krunic Natalija Kostic Dejan Vranes (captain)
Italy v Ukraine
Italy Francesca Schiavone Flavia Pennetta Sara Errani Roberta Vinci Corrado Barazzutti (captain)
Ukraine Kateryna Bondarenko Lesia Tsurenko Olga Savchuk Yuliya Beygelzimer Igor Dernovskyi (captain)
Germany v Czech Republic
Germany Sabine Lisicki Julia Goerges Angelique Kerber Anna Lena Groenefeld Barbara Rittner (captain)
Czech Republic Petra Kvitova Iveta Benesova Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova Lucie Hradecka Petr Pala (captain)
World Group II first round
USA v Belarus USA Serena Williams Christina McHale Venus Williams Liezel Huber Mary Joe Fernandez (captain)
Belarus Victoria Azarenka Anastasiya Yakimova Olga Govortsova Darya Kustova Sergei Teterin (captain)
Japan v Slovenia
Japan Ayumi Morita Kimiko Date Krumm Kurumi Nara Rika Fujiwara Takeshi Murakami (captain)
Slovenia Polona Hercog Petra Rampre Nastja Kolar Andreja Klepac Maja Matevzic (captain)
Slovak Republic v France
Slovak Republic Dominika Cibulkova Daniela Hantuchova Magdalena Rybarikova Jana Cepelova Matej Liptak (captain)
France Pauline Parmentier Virginie Razzano Alize Cornet Aravane Rezai Nicolas Escude (captain)
Switzerland v Australia
Switzerland Stefanie Voegele Amra Sadikovic Timea Bacsinszky Belinda Bencic Christiane Jolissaint (captain)
Australia Samantha Stosur Jarmila Gajdosova Jelena Dokic Casey Dellacqua David Taylor (captain)
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Post by Brinyi on Jan 31, 2012 15:41:02 GMT -5
Maja from Slovenia! I'd forgotten about her.
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Post by Old Hag on Jan 31, 2012 20:36:53 GMT -5
What group does USA go in when Azza wins all 3 matches.
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Post by janie on Feb 2, 2012 17:27:28 GMT -5
We enter the Group of Shame.
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Post by Old Hag on Feb 3, 2012 1:51:45 GMT -5
If USA loses, they would a country like Malta in the relegation round. I want that. So, of course, Ree has to freaking play this one. Sigh.
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Post by GoDom on Feb 3, 2012 6:56:32 GMT -5
Grönefeld Rittner
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Post by DBBN on Feb 3, 2012 17:30:17 GMT -5
Maja from Slovenia! I'd forgotten about her. MAJA DAS CAPITAN
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Post by DBBN on Feb 3, 2012 17:31:47 GMT -5
If USA loses, they would a country like Malta in the relegation round. I want that. So, of course, Ree has to freaking play this one. Sigh. Serena WILLIAMS (USA) def. Entire POPULATION OF (MLT) 6-0 5-0 ret.
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Post by janie on Feb 3, 2012 20:37:30 GMT -5
Oh, oh, oh Canada. Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça?? Down and out! Although, I guess if they have Pollyannas in Canada, someone can be excited that the team beat the BAHAMAS. Not just beat but crushed 3-0!!! But huge congrats to the doughty Argies, who advanced, and I hope WozCan's injury will heal quickly; she could use a lucky break for once. blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/02/02/canadians-bow-out-in-fed-cup/
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Post by lexpretend on Feb 4, 2012 4:39:43 GMT -5
I am fairly sure they have Pollyannas in Canada!
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Post by Paean on Feb 4, 2012 8:56:31 GMT -5
Maja from Slovenia! I'd forgotten about her. She's Hantuchova-like skinny these days. Has married a journalist/divorcee a few years ago and has a daughter of about 3yo and the journalist's son from his previous marriage. Together they even used to do regular commentary for our National TV whenever they decided to broadcast some tennis.
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Post by Traveling Man on Feb 4, 2012 12:39:23 GMT -5
What drama. Petra survives 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 against Goerges to keep her indoor streak alive. Apparently, she played awfully and trailed 4-5, 0-30 in the final set. Benesova defeated Lisicki so CZE lead 2-0. Azza had withdrawn with a lower back injury. Masha and Sveta cruise to a 2-0 lead over Spain. Hantuchova d Parmentier 5-7, 6-1, 9-7.
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Post by DBBN on Feb 4, 2012 14:39:58 GMT -5
Petra survives 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 against Goerges to keep her indoor streak alive. Apparently, she played awfully Goe(rge)s without saying, given that scoreline against that player. McHale had 6-0 4-0 and then gagged hard. But the Yak played a horrible game at 4-4 and McHale rode the Yak's choke over the line.
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Post by Brinyi on Feb 4, 2012 15:31:22 GMT -5
Maja from Slovenia! I'd forgotten about her. She's Hantuchova-like skinny these days. Has married a journalist/divorcee a few years ago and has a daughter of about 3yo and the journalist's son from his previous marriage. Together they even used to do regular commentary for our National TV whenever they decided to broadcast some tennis. Thanks for the update, Boreas. We all loved Maja back in the day.
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Post by Brinyi on Feb 4, 2012 15:37:02 GMT -5
How does Fran lose 1 & 2 at home to Tsurenko ?
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Post by Brinyi on Feb 4, 2012 15:44:54 GMT -5
Ol-Go is hanging with Silliams so far, 5-5, despite 5 df and a 46% 1st serve percentage. 17UEs for SW, I guess that explains it...
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Post by Brinyi on Feb 4, 2012 15:58:42 GMT -5
I guess Serena breaking at 6-5 to win the set is not going to surprise a lot of folks.
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Post by Brinyi on Feb 4, 2012 17:42:07 GMT -5
Neither will the 6-0 second set.
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Post by Old Hag on Feb 4, 2012 18:10:38 GMT -5
How does Fran lose 1 & 2 at home to Tsurenko ? Tsurenko is way better than her ranking, but yeah. On clay, too. Azza didn't bother to play. Whatever.
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Post by janie on Feb 5, 2012 6:49:27 GMT -5
Petrova
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Post by Edna Krabappel on Feb 5, 2012 8:16:12 GMT -5
Krunic just doesn't have the body for pro tennis.
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Post by Brinyi on Feb 5, 2012 10:22:04 GMT -5
I think there's quite a bit of "showing up for the Olympics and playing one match at most" happening.
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Post by Grarliner on Feb 5, 2012 14:49:16 GMT -5
Italy still won with Schiavone barely edging Bondarenko. But that's a good recovery after whatever happened against Tsurenko.
Kvitty wins for CZE. If she keeps playing for them, I could easily see a repeat happening.
Wait, I am on crack. Italy didn't win! Tsurenko crushed Errani who RETIRED! Now it goes to the doubles which Errani was slated to play ...
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Post by Grarliner on Feb 5, 2012 14:53:44 GMT -5
Serena seems rusty as hell. 5-7 6-1 6-1 over Yakimova. What, did she skip her morning coffee this week?
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Post by Brinyi on Feb 6, 2012 11:36:43 GMT -5
Serbia won even without Jankovic. Bojo plays the heroine, taking the tying pint and involved in the winning pint. Bitchmayer's serve was broken twice in the third set as she appeared to have a sore back.
GBR and SWE advance to the WG playoff our of Europe; ARG out of the Americas; and China out of Asia.
I was interested on how the China-"Kazakhstan" playoff would go, and both matches were split-setters: S. PENG d. Y. SHVEDOVA 6-3 3-6 6-1 N. LI d. G. VOSKOBOEVA 6-3 1-6 6-1
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Post by janie on Feb 7, 2012 17:24:55 GMT -5
Argies in the World Group
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Post by janie on Apr 18, 2012 16:11:31 GMT -5
Shame on Woz for missing this tie. We all know the almost insane passion all the other top players feel for Fed Cup!
Dream start for SA women 2012-04-18
Johannesburg - South Africa's young women's tennis team secured a 3-0 victory over Denmark in their opening match of the Fed Cup Euro-Africa Group II tournament in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday.
The South Africans, promoted this season from Group III, won both singles matches and the doubles encounter against the Danish side.
Teenager Ilze Hattingh, 15, defeated Mai Grage 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 6-0 and veteran Natalie Grandin edged out Karet "Vicious Dad" Barbat 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 in the singles encounters.
Grandin paired up with Madrie le Roux, who turns 17 on Thursday, to beat Grage and Cecilie Melsted 7-5, 6-3 in the doubles match.
"The conditions were real tough and the start of play was delayed by over two hours due to a massive sand storm," said SA captain John-Laffnie de Jager.
"The clay was blowing all over the show but our team kept their composure and clinched the tie to give us a dream start."
South Africa play their second Pool A match against Finland on Thursday.
The top teams in each pool will play for promotion to the Euro-Africa Group I next season, while the two bottom sides will square off in an effort to escape relegation.
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Post by lexpretend on Apr 22, 2012 8:13:08 GMT -5
I didn't realise Rampre had such a fun game - she's tiny, scampers everywhere but has an attacking mindset, has a great single-handed BH, gets to net when she can and hits brilliant volleys - kind of like a pocket Schiavone. Unfortunately she doesn't really have the firepower to really put an opponent away and choked this away from 2 MPs up (after coming back from a break down in the third) And from her results this year it looks like she's not cutting it at WTA level at all Parmentier is as underwhelming a player as ever, she's well-rounded and consistent in that she does everything in a mediocre-to-adequate kind of way. Some hilariously French DFs throughout the final set though. Absorbing match though!
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Post by Paean on Apr 22, 2012 8:42:46 GMT -5
She works really hard to win the points, but whenever she gets in front and realizes that the win is there to take it, she freezes. It was the same yesterday against Razzano when she was up 62 31 and in total control. Most of the matches this year she lost in 3 sets after wasting many chances to win them either in 2 or in 3 sets.
I agree that her game is quite lovely to watch. When confident her serve is a big weapon, as opposed to today's which she was mostly just spinning it in.
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Post by Edna Krabappel on Apr 22, 2012 12:49:21 GMT -5
Srbija!
I didn't see a point of it.
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