Fed Cup 2011

RBBOT · Futures qualifying

RE: Fed Cup 2011

philwrig · Hall of fame

Let's face it its a tough zone to get out of full stop.
So yes the draw is tough but with Wozniacki not a great doubles player and with no backup GB are favourites to win that tie. Both the top 2 Swiss singles players are out of form to so another opportunity there. Unlike last year all our singles players are 100% fit and playing better.
I can see us qualifying from this group but probably not winning the playoff decider for the World group playoff match.

Maza1987 · Challenger level

tbh, i think we could do that.
it's all about winning the dubs against denmark, and the swiss team seem beatable. even petrova had a pretty poor aussie open.

indiana · Tennis legend

Certainly it's a hit the ground running draw, no mucking, best team you reckon you can pick played in both group matches.

I'm still for singles for going with Bally and still not sure re Anne vs Heather for the other singles spot. Re doubles I'm angling towards Anne and Heather.

Is there any particular ranking order they play ties ? eg if 2 v 2 play before 1 v 1 and then the doubles that would be better for playing Anne or Heather again in the doubles. If they had to play both singles and doubles in succession I'd more consider playing Joss.

Reeltime · Satellite level

Ok, pain in the tonsils trying to find information on the Fedcup website. Very nice and shiny site, but not the most practical:

Oh yeah, and you cant copy and paste from the rulebook :(

Section 9: Tie - How decided.

Each tie will consist of 4 singles and one doubles

i) The two nominated singles players will play against each of the nominated singles players of the opposing team. The number 1 ranked player of each team will play against the number 2 ranked player of the opposing team on the 1st day, and the order of play shall be decided by lots. The number 1 ranked player of each team shall play the third singles match, and the number 2 ranked players shall play the 4th. THE DOUBLES MATCH SHALL TAKE PLACE AFTER THE FOURTH SINGLES MATCH.

indiana · Tennis legend

Thanks, Reeltime, but I think that must refer to the 5 match World Group ties.

In previous years, and I am presuming this year, for the tournament weeks for groups at lower levels each tie has been 3 matches, i.e. 2 singles followed by a doubles.

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 24th of January 2011 11:50:10 PM

Reeltime · Satellite level

Ok, good point!

Cant find anything specific (possibly the drawing of lots again?) But the doubles team can be altered up to 15 minutes after the conclusion of the second singles

Edit: Aha! found it. Order of play shall be number 2 vs number 2 followed by number 1 versus number 1 followed by doubles

-- Edited by Reeltime on Tuesday 25th of January 2011 12:00:17 AM

indiana · Tennis legend

Ah ha, good man smile

As I indicated before I think that order makes more likely that the British 2nd ranked singles player ( i.e. playing first ) will also play doubles and less likely that Joss will.

Bally, presuming she plays singles will play 2nd and woudn't likely be playing doubles anyway.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Yeah the 2's play first. Then #1's then doubles after a short break if needed.

RBBOT · Futures qualifying

One for our resident stats guru (unless someone beats him to it):with Caroline now guaranteed to retain her ranking, when was the last time a British Woman played against the world #1 ?

British_is_Best · County player

I think it would probably be Roland Garros 2009, Safina against Anne (6-0, 6-0)

steven · Tennis legend

I can't think of it happening since then, though it's quite hard now to remember that Safina was ever no. 1, so maybe we've both missed one! LOL

I just realised today that while Bally has won her R1 match in her last seven tournaments (starting with the USO), she hasn't won back to back matches since she beat Buyukakcay and Schiavone in Istanbul last July.

RBBOT · Futures qualifying

it's quite hard now to remember that Safina was ever no. 1
I certainly forgot!

philwrig · Hall of fame

You can ask any of our four players questions about the Fed Cup on the British Tennis facebook page up until 4pm tomorrow.
I have come up with a few questions myself.
Difficult to know what to ask but I thought I would give it a go.

steven · Tennis legend

It's very tough coming up with questions, when we already know the answers to a lot of the easy questions and the more interesting questions either aren't amenable to a quick answer or are the kind of things tennis players (understandably) tend to avoid, like "Who do you think Nigel Sears should pick for singles?" or "If you get through this group, who would like to face/avoid in the promotion playoffs at the weekend?"

I've DM'd a couple of questions on Twitter though (having asked them if Facebook-phobes can do that) because we ought to be encouraging them when they try to engage with the fans a bit like this and they haven't had that many questions on Facebook so far, though many of the ones they have had have been pretty decent.

Btw, if they managed to get through this week (which will be very hard), we could just possibly have our first home Fed Cup Tie (a World Group II promotion playoff v one of the WG II R1 losers) as soon as early April.

-- Edited by steven on Thursday 27th of January 2011 04:00:58 PM