Fed Cup 2016 - Europe/Africa Group 1

Oakland2002 · All-time great

RE: Fed Cup 2016 - Europe/Africa Group 1

PaulM · Tennis legend

Joss and Anna have completely stagnated as a pair though. 3 wins since Wimbledon. That form can't be ignored.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Belgium - Yanina Wickmayer, Alison Van Uytvanck, An-Sophie Mestach, Ysaline Bonaventure
Bulgaria - Tsvetana Pironkova, Elitsa Kostova, Isabella Shinikova, Dia Evtimova
Croatia - Ana Konjuh, Donna Vekic, Petra Martic, Darija Jurak
Estonia - Anett Kontaveit, Kaia Kanepi, Valeria Gorlats, Maileen Nuudi
Georgia - Sofia Shapatava, Ekaterine Gorgodze, Sofia Kvatsabaia, Oksana Kalashnikova
Great Britain - Johanna Konta, Heather Watson, Anna Smith, Jocelyn Rae
Hungary - Reka-Luca Jani, Dalma Galfi, Anna Bondar, Fanny Stollar
Israel - Julia Glushko, Shahar Peer, Alona Pushkarevsky, Shelly Krolitzky
Latvia - Jelena Ostapenko, Diana Marcinkevica, Darta-Elizabete Emulina, Anna Ozerova
Portgual - Michelle Larcher de Brito, Ines Murta, Barbara Luz, Maria Joao Koehler
South Africa - Chanel Simmonds, Ilze Hattingh, Madrie Le Roux, Michelle Sammons
Sweden - Rebecca Peterson, Susanne Celik, Jacqueline Cabaj Awad, Cornelia Lister
Turkey - Cagla Buyukakcay, Ipek Soylu, Basak Eraydin, Pemra Ozgen
Ukraine - Elina Svitolina, Lesia Tsurenko, Kateryna Bondarenko, Olga Savchuk

Lots of teams with very strong top 2s. This group is getting tougher. You really want to be in a three team group with Hungary and South Africa.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

I think this year's qualifiers will be a lot harder to call than in the past couple of years when there have been some obvious standout teams. I don't think there is a team there we wouldn't have a decent chance of beating, but plenty where it could go either way.

wolf · Tennis legend

PaulM wrote:
Joss and Anna have completely stagnated as a pair though. 3 wins since Wimbledon. That form can't be ignored.

I agree, but if Naomi is not available who else are you going to pick?

PaulM · Tennis legend

Id like to know for certain Naomi turned a place down. Even of that seems likely its not been confirmed. Maybe one of the journos in Oz can ask

philwrig · Hall of fame

PaulM wrote:
Id like to know for certain Naomi turned a place down. Even of that seems likely its not been confirmed. Maybe one of the journos in Oz can ask

Knowing what I know I suspect she wasn't available for selection.

wolf · Tennis legend

PaulM wrote:
Id like to know for certain Naomi turned a place down. Even of that seems likely its not been confirmed. Maybe one of the journos in Oz can ask

Well if she didn't it's ridiculous she's not in the squad.

indiana · Tennis legend

Be very interesting to see what happened if Jo or Heather became unavailable.

Folk say on the face of it that Katie and Laura are just along for the experience / bonding ( surely the case with at least Laura ). But a third singles option is not very clear at all, err bar Naomi, who may not be an option.

philwrig · Hall of fame

PaulM wrote:
Belgium - Yanina Wickmayer, Alison Van Uytvanck, An-Sophie Mestach, Ysaline Bonaventure
Bulgaria - Tsvetana Pironkova, Elitsa Kostova, Isabella Shinikova, Dia Evtimova
Croatia - Ana Konjuh, Donna Vekic, Petra Martic, Darija Jurak
Estonia - Anett Kontaveit, Kaia Kanepi, Valeria Gorlats, Maileen Nuudi
Georgia - Sofia Shapatava, Ekaterine Gorgodze, Sofia Kvatsabaia, Oksana Kalashnikova
Great Britain - Johanna Konta, Heather Watson, Anna Smith, Jocelyn Rae
Hungary - Reka-Luca Jani, Dalma Galfi, Anna Bondar, Fanny Stollar
Israel - Julia Glushko, Shahar Peer, Alona Pushkarevsky, Shelly Krolitzky
Latvia - Jelena Ostapenko, Diana Marcinkevica, Darta-Elizabete Emulina, Anna Ozerova
Portgual - Michelle Larcher de Brito, Ines Murta, Barbara Luz, Maria Joao Koehler
South Africa - Chanel Simmonds, Ilze Hattingh, Madrie Le Roux, Michelle Sammons
Sweden - Rebecca Peterson, Susanne Celik, Jacqueline Cabaj Awad, Cornelia Lister
Turkey - Cagla Buyukakcay, Ipek Soylu, Basak Eraydin, Pemra Ozgen
Ukraine - Elina Svitolina, Lesia Tsurenko, Kateryna Bondarenko, Olga Savchuk

Lots of teams with very strong top 2s. This group is getting tougher. You really want to be in a three team group with Hungary and South Africa.

No Belarus or a weakened Serbian team this time around, but Estonia would be tricky but they are a 2 woman team and Ukraine are strengthened by the comeback of Bondarenko, so overall a little weaker than last year for me, but if our top 2 singles players aren't on form it will be tough. Belgium for some reason seem to struggle at this event and there are always a few surprises.

-- Edited by philwrig on Tuesday 5th of January 2016 07:08:11 PM

LordBrownof · Futures level

PaulM wrote:
Joss and Anna have completely stagnated as a pair though. 3 wins since Wimbledon. That form can't be ignored.

Agree. I'd seriously consider Joss/Heather.

philwrig · Hall of fame

LordBrownof wrote:
PaulM wrote:
Joss and Anna have completely stagnated as a pair though. 3 wins since Wimbledon. That form can't be ignored.
Agree. I'd seriously consider Joss/Heather.

It didn't work well in 2014 though, and Joss played so much better last year with Anna, but current form is a slight worry.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Very good group draw with Georgia and South Africa.

PaulM · Tennis legend

If we win our group we play winner of group D. Good to avoid Ukraine. C and D are much of muchness - as Phil mentioned Belgium tend to struggle but they should come through and we have a chance.

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

Fingers crossed that this is the year for promotion :)