Fed Cup 2012

Ratty · County player

RE: Fed Cup 2012

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

philwrig wrote:
Thanks for the analysis RBBOT, I think the key thing is that we have avoided both Poland and Romania when it comes to a potential playoff matchup on the Saturday. Obviously we've got to get ther first which won't be easy. Portugal will be tougher than first thought due to the current form of their singles players. Koehler is also a useful doubles player so we could really do with winning both singles matches to avoid a showdown for the doubles.

I have been giving some thought to why we haven't been more successful in the past in this event, and the only theory I can come up with is a lack of a real team bond. Bally basically an outsider all year, comes in for this one week a year, to team up with the rest of team GB. If you look at the teams that have the most success in Fed Cup, they are the US and Italy, and both these teams players spend alot of time together at all the tournaments around the world. A bit like the Euro team compared with the US team in the Ryder Cup. Hopefully Judy can bring the team together more and get the best out of them. I heard through someone at Nottingham that Heather was a breath of fresh air and really added to the team energy last year.

Also, having Laura in the team this year can only help in terms of generating a good team spirit.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Ratty wrote:
philwrig wrote:
I have been giving some thought to why we haven't been more successful in the past in this event, and the only theory I can come up with is a lack of a real team bond.
If you look at the teams that have the most success in Fed Cup, they are the US and Italy, and both these teams players spend alot of time together at all the tournaments around the world.
This is the sort of statement which sounds as though it ought to be true - but life is rarely as simple as that.
I suspect that success in team tournaments like the the Fed and Davis cups is very closely correlated with the ranking of the individual players. And therefore that it is relatively rare for a tennis team to be better than the sum of its parts. In some ways this would hardly be surprising, because tennis matches are played by individuals, not by teams.
I'm happy to be proved wrong - as always - in the spirit of scientific enquiry!

I agree first and foremost, players rankings are important, but after that a team bond is the next important.

Ratty · County player

I suppose that the team bond could make the players try harder? The Fed and Davis Cups provide no ranking points or prize money to motivate the players, so there is always the possibility of tanking.

I 've always been a bit puzzled by the feebleness of the US Ryder Cup team, bearing in mind that Americans are perhaps the most luminously patriotic people in the world; and "Europe" is hardly a concept that would inspire players to maximum effort.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Take football or rugby for example, the teams which play as 'teams' and not just as 'individuals' are the most successful. The best coaches are able to instill into their players that when on the pitch you are not just playing for yourself but you are playing for your team mate as well. Yes it is basically that they try/work harder.

Peter too · Tennis legend

Who is likely to play in the key doubles spot? We have had good specialist doubles players in the past such as Claire Curran and Jocelyn Rae. A strong singles player and a strong doubles player together can take the team a long way.

philwrig · Hall of fame

My lineup for Portugal, would be Bally and Anne for singles and Hev/Laura for the dubs.
If we manage to win that tie 3-0, I then might stick with that lineup for the Netherlands match.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Rus is out for the Dutch, not a huge help as she wasn't in great form, and both Schoofs and Bertens can step up and be difficult in the singles anyway.

RBBOT · Futures qualifying

They can, but it means one of them will be playing at least 4 sets in the day. Being able to play all 4 team members in each tie should be an advantage for us.

Regarding Portugal, I've not heard of three their players and intentionally avoid hearing the other one as much as possible, so I'm not sure of their style of play and who would be the best singles match. But given Koehler's doubles experience, I'd like to see Anne in our team against her, so I'd go Bally/Heather for singles and Laura/Anne for doubles.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

RBBOT wrote:
They can, but it means one of them will be playing at least 4 sets in the day. Being able to play all 4 team members in each tie should be an advantage for us.

Regarding Portugal, I've not heard of three their players and intentionally avoid hearing the other one as much as possible, so I'm not sure of their style of play and who would be the best singles match. But given Koehler's doubles experience, I'd like to see Anne in our team against her, so I'd go Bally/Heather for singles and Laura/Anne for doubles.

I think I would choose this selection as well, mainly because I think Heather is very good at beating weaker players consistently.

To be fair though, given that it is such a close call between all the girls and Judy will have seen them in practice for a week it would be hard to argue with whatever team selection she goes with.

indiana · Tennis legend

If Laura had not had her injury and much curtailed off season with the lack of practice and doubts about her consistency that that brings, my thoughts would certainly be towards Bally and Laura for the singles.

I say this, given Laura's form in the second half of last year and her ability to rise to the occasion, and I think she is probably better outdoors than Anne, who clearly finished last year very well.

But we did get caught out last year by playing someone ( Anne ) who was apparenly not ready, although Laura should be more ready than Anne was.

As things stand though, Anne and Heather to me are much more in the eqaution and if slightly leaning to Heather there, I'd more say my singles picks woulld be Bally and err Anne or Heather or Laura.

The matches are 1st vs 1st then 2nd vs 2nd then doubles arent they ?

If so, it does maybe restrict our doubles choice a bit in that I wouldn't pick Bally and we may feel we want to rest the 2nd singles player.

I'd probably ideally go for Heather and Laura, but if either played singles, then the temptation will be to play the two who didn't play singles. That should be basically OK, since Anne is a decent doubles player and has certainly played a number of times with Heather, if not I believe Laura.

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Oh well, that's cleared that up then

philwrig · Hall of fame

Hev and Anne hasn't really worked as a doubles pairing eventhough they have played together several times.
Laura can be inconsistent and is a rookie so I would let her make her debut in the doubles.
I firmly believe that both Anne and Hev would beat Koehler, but unless Judy sees something in practice, Anne's experience would just see me pick her ahead of Hev.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Indiana the first rubber is 2 v 2.

indiana · Tennis legend

Julia Carrot wrote:
Oh well, that's cleared that up then

Hee Hee, I almost said that myself at the end. So many words for errr...