Fed Cup 2018 World Group II Play-Off - Japan v Great Britain - 21-22 April

wolf · Tennis legend

Fed Cup 2018 World Group II Play-Off - Japan v Great Britain - 21-22 April

indiana · Tennis legend

wolf wrote:
I would say the exact same team as the zonals is a given, with Gabi as travelling reserve if they want one.

I agree. I had been wondering whether Laura was coming into contention again but I think that she needed to be keeping playing and playing well.

Michael D · All-time great

So this would still mean keeping Anna in the team as a doubles specialist.... even though she's hardly won a single match this year? And is Gabi still only a reserve, despite her huge jump up the rankings since the end of last year?
Yes, re Laura, it was a pity she withdrew from her last Japanese tournament with some sort of injury, especially as she had been showing improving form, particularly regards doubles.

indiana · Tennis legend

Michael D wrote:
So this would still mean keeping Anna in the team as a doubles specialist.... even though she's hardly won a single match this year? And is Gabi still only a reserve, despite her huge jump up the rankings since the end of last year?
Yes, re Laura, it was a pity she withdrew from her last Japanese tournament with some sort of injury, especially as she had been showing improving form, particularly regards doubles.

Yes re Anna if possibly only as intended cover for a potential Jo & Heather combination.

Given Jo and Heather will no doubt be playing singles assuming they are there fit and well, we do at least need doubles cover. And well though they have occasionally shown in doubles I don't think you get that enough from Katie B and Gabi. Poor results as she has had with her new partner Anna is still a better doubles option to have there for me. One reason why Laura was looking an option and maybe in place of Anna.

One of Katie and Gabi does as singles cover and Anna for doubles / doubles cover. I'd stick with Katie. She's not got anything like the number of wins or points that Gabi has this year but she's had some of her best wins and not really awful losses. And she has that bit of Fed Cup experience though that wouldn't be that much of a biggie if Gabi now looked clearly the better singles player. I'm not sure she does though.

Who would you go for at this stage ?

JonH · All-time great

So here's a thing. With all the debate around future of Davis cup, world nations cup and when will they look at fed cup as well, is there any possibility of doing what might be the most radical thing but also most modern thing and merging them into one single mixed team event. Ie mens and womens in one team, maybe 5 rubbers comprising each of the 5 disciplines. Politics would get in the way but it might be an answer?

If 8 or 16 teams based on mailed rankings were selected , presumably Gb would currently get in, top 16 at least if not top 8?

Sorry, didn't mean to get away from fed cup thread and for what it is worth I'd select jo, hev, Katie boulter and gabi Taylor, with jo and hev taking on first singles, possibly swapping hev out for second singles and putting jo and Heather in doubles

-- Edited by JonH on Monday 26th of March 2018 05:56:42 PM

JonH · All-time great

...my logic being I'd rather go in with singles options and see gabi in practice, and she has doubles form recently winning mildura, plus Katie can play doubles having been in a gs junior final as well. So doubles options exist in these 4.

Michael D · All-time great

indiana wrote:
Michael D wrote:
So this would still mean keeping Anna in the team as a doubles specialist.... even though she's hardly won a single match this year? And is Gabi still only a reserve, despite her huge jump up the rankings since the end of last year?
Yes, re Laura, it was a pity she withdrew from her last Japanese tournament with some sort of injury, especially as she had been showing improving form, particularly regards doubles.
Yes re Anna if possibly only as intended cover for a potential Jo & Heather combination.
Given Jo and Heather will no doubt be playing singles assuming they are there fit and well, we do at least need doubles cover. And well though they have occasionally shown in doubles I don't think you get that enough from Katie B and Gabi. Poor results as she has had with her new partner Anna is still a better doubles option to have there for me. One reason why Laura was looking an option and maybe in place of Anna.
One of Katie and Gabi does as singles cover and Anna for doubles / doubles cover. I'd stick with Katie. She's not got anything like the number of wins or points that Gabi has this year but she's had some of her best wins and not really awful losses. And she has that bit of Fed Cup experience though that wouldn't be that much of a biggie if Gabi now looked clearly the better singles player. I'm not sure she does though.
Who would you go for at this stage ?

I'd take the four women who have been the best players this year - Jo, Heather, Katie B and Gabi. In the Feb, Fed Cup matches I thought Katie B was at least as good if not better than Anna, and although she does have the experience, and I'd love to see her do better, Anna's results have been extremely disappointing this year. Having Gabi in the side thus provides Annie K with a wider range of options. Like you, I thought Laura, after her doubles win with Fanni Stollar might be a doubles option ahead of Anna... then the next week she pulled out injured and we haven't yet seen her back, and its now too close to the Japan match for her to be considered at this point. I also agree that Katie's wins against higher ranked players gets her in ahead of Gabi, despite Gabi's ranking being higher, but I'd make Gabi the 4th player, which as Jon says, gives Annie more choices. Also, I think Gabi should be getting the experience now of the event, since I certainly would expect to see her there more regularly in the future, whereas, without disrespect, I can't say that of Anna.

JonH · All-time great

Courtesy of the Daily Fail:

"The benign draw (meaning the Davis Cup draw today v Uzbekhistan) contrasts sharply to that experienced by the womens Fed Cup team, which has been continually hit by having to play away matches. They travel next week to Osaka to face Japan in an attempt to make World Group level. Jo Konta is expected to lead the squad, which will be announced on Wednesday."

wolf · Tennis legend

The tie is to be shown in BT Sport, starts at 5am on Sat and 4am Sun.

the addict · Tennis legend

Just been announced

GB Fed Cup team to face Japan away in World Group II play-off next week: Johanna Konta, Heather Watson, Gabriella Taylor and Anna Smith.

Japan: Naomi Osaka, Kurumi Nara, Miyu Kato and Makoto Ninomiya.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Interesting. Fully deserved, but you'd assume that Gabi would be an absolute cert for a Wimbledon wildcard now. Good to see that her Aussie injury mustn't have been too bad. Will be interesting to see what her plans are after this.

Michael D · All-time great

Indeed it is really interesting that Annie has gone with the higher ranked form player, even though Katie B had some good recent results against Taylor Townsend. It is not clear how much Gabi would play, but it will be great experience for her, and I imagine that is part of Annie's thinking. Also if at any point Annie feels she needs an inform, confident player...

There are 5 matches, 2 singles Sat, 2 singles and a doubles on the Sunday - so the doubles acts as the decider, if one is needed as far as I understand? That's a different feel from the David Cup, where the doubles can be pivotal. Here it may or may not play a role, and if it does play a role, then it's decisive, so is suddenly a pressure match (unless I have the format wrong).

PaulM · Tennis legend

As doubles is last, and if it's live you would pick Hev and Jo, I'm not sure why you bring Anna?

Interesting that Japan have gone for a specialist pair. Perhaps they are working on the basis it will be 2-2.

Could be tight but I can't see Jo beating Osaka right now.

Michael D · All-time great

Interesting the overall strength of the teams next week, considering all the discussion around the Davis Cup...

HALEP, MUGURUZA, OSTAPENKO HEADLINE APRIL NOMINATIONS
11 Apr 2018
Fourteen of the world's top 20 players, including three of the world's top five, will compete for their nations in next weekend's Fed Cup by BNP Paribas semifinals, and World Group and World Group II play-offs.
www.fedcup.com/en/news/283373.aspx

indiana · Tennis legend

Very interesting, yes.

I did think that it would be same again and that was even before maybe some doubts about Gabi after that last retirement. Katie hasn't had nearly the matches and wins but her form hasn't been bad and some good wins.

But yes Gabi is in form and must be confident. These are good reasons for selection as against say "deserving" or "experience". There is a match to be won in the here and now and something could ( hopefully not! ) happen to Jo or Hev so to me considerations other than who you think the best option should only come in if it is a bit of a toss-up.

Pleased in a way that assuming Gabi must be fine it fits much better for her, rested after Oz as compared to Katie with her scheduled weeks in Portugal and no doubt wanting matches. Again though that for me for selection would only come into it in the toss-up scenario.

All said, of course it should be a great experience for her and recognises how she has progressed. All the best to her and the whole team.

Oh, re Anna, yes I have always been for her. Jo and Hev probably for doubles but it does come after two singles on the second day. If someone else is wanted / needed for doubles the best option is Anna. Today's result reaffirms that in the right partnership she remains a quality doubles player and it had seemed rather unlikely that she had suddenly lost that to such an extent that having both Gabi and Katie there provided better doubles backup. And with a clear top two for singles that is more important than having two further mainly singles players. It's a well balanced team for the task at hand.