I agree with FD's assessment. In recent years we have twice reached this stage (1999 v Romania and 2006 v Slovak Republic) but failed to win a set in the singles. I would be disappointed if we don't at least improve on those results.

Playing for your country in a critical match like this puts a lot of pressure on, and some handle it better than others. Poland are no more used to winning their way into the World Group play-offs than we are. So if we win the one match where we are favourite, the number 2 singles, then Radwanska and their doubles pairing (despite having doubles specialists, they may introduce Radwanska into the doubles, because of her greater experience of big matches) will be under a lot of pressure as the supposed favourites. Let's hope we can put them under that pressure and take advantage.

wolf wrote:

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To prove she is not untouchable Radwanska has today lost to Anne K's doubles partner from the Australian Open, the world #170 Mervana Jugic-Salkic, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5!

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That's a bizarre result!

Don't know what the situation was for Poland going into today's matches concerning whether or not they'd already qualified and so she could have been "driving the tank", but the scoreline would suggest something totally different and it was a proper match (unless she just wanted the court time to try something new like serve/volleying to prepare for the doubles etc)

http://www.tennis.ee/?op=body&id=244 - Match starts at 2pm GMT.

Balatcha v piner
1-1 ( I dont know who is serving)
2-1 ( I still don't know)

-- Edited by murrayman650 at 14:15, 2009-02-07

3-2
30-15

I think you might have taken a comment of "Bally take the first set" in the wrong context? Because I can't see where it says she won it.

-- Edited by wolf at 14:58, 2009-02-07