FED CUP 2017 - Euro/Africa Zone Group 1 - Tallinn, Estonia (week commencing 6 Feb)

the addict · Tennis legend

FED CUP 2017 - Euro/Africa Zone Group 1 - Tallinn, Estonia (week commencing 6 Feb)

Kounosuke · Intermediate Club Player

The Optimist wrote:
PaulM wrote:
Croatia it is.

Is the Croatia team still Konjuh, Vekic, Lukas and Jurak? Have to admit I don't really know too much about the last 2 - are they reserves or dubs players? Fancy Joanna against Konjuh but think Heather v Vekic could go either way, both can play great or awful.... Might need a good dubs performance.

Yes it is, Lukas appears to be a reserve (she played the dead rubber doubles with Jurak against Bosnia) while Jurak is WR27 in doubles and teamed up with Konjuh against Hungary.

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

Hmm.....may not be a good idea to rely on a dubs win then wink

AliBlahBlah · All-time great

Jurak is a better doubles player than anyone we have, and is at her peak now.
Has won 3 WTA titles each with different partners, 2 Premier (Dubai, Eastbourne) and 1 International (Monterrey); 6 other WTA finals, including St. Petersburg at the end of January this year.
Serve can go missing.

paulisi · Tennis legend

We must start as favourites - Konta should beat Konjuh. Hev is in great form, although Vekic could be her toughest match yet.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

Heather's match against Donna Vekic tomorrow is tough to call, both are similarly ranked and have won their matches easily this week. It's hard to see Konjuh causing Jo too many problems after losing so heavily in singles today, but then if it does come down to doubles Croatia would be slight favourites (though Fed Cup doubles is unpredictable at the best of times, and how both teams deal with the nerves would be critical).

philwrig · Hall of fame

Going to be an interesting day tomorrow, and one I'm a little bit fearful about.

Hev is playing well, but she hasn't been tested, and she will tomorrow, Vekic is playing much better and has beaten Hev, so that for me comes down to nerves.

Jo was poor today, but she still won, I think being back on centre court playing a much better opponent will help her. Konjuh was thrashed by an inspired Babos today so is difficult to gauge, but on her day is very dangerous.

And then the doubles !! Who do we pick ? Maybe Jo and Hev, but they have a top dubs specialist, but to be fair didn't look like one today, but her results are good.

Hopefully the fact there are quite a few Brits out there, might help because there are zero Croats.

In summary we really need to win the 2 singles.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

If we loose one go Hev and Jo for the doubles. The doubles specialist bussinees is nonsense if you have two top 100 singles plays one of whom is top 10ish and on the up unless it's the Bryan's/Nestor or equivalent

indiana · Tennis legend

I see an argument for Hev and Jo, who are both very good doubles players ( Jo plays very rarely but I think is underrated by some as a doubles player ). Not all top singles players convert as easily though more common with the women. I'd say that there is something to be said for specialist doubles players, just getting it into proportion and context.

Here, I don't see it as at all clearcut as to who would be best here, even without Hev and Jo playing singles first.

I'd say Hev & AN Other ( Laura too seems to have been playing pretty good doubles ) though I wouldn't totally discount Anne sticking with Joss & Laura.

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 10th of February 2017 08:13:56 PM

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

I think that there will be factors that we won't be priviy to after the singles matches ie how Hev and Jo feel after an intense week of tennis. I'm sure Anne will make the right decision for the team in consultation with the girls.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

Who to pick in a deciding doubles is a fascinating debate though hopefully a decision Anne never has to make as Heather and Jo win the singles! I would be tempted to play Jo as she is our best player and has a dominant serve which is just as useful in doubles. I'm unsure who else I would play though, could see an argument for all three and without seeing any action this week I can't decide.

-- Edited by tony_orient on Friday 10th of February 2017 09:17:44 PM

Wakey · Junior player

Oakland2002 wrote:
If we loose one go Hev and Jo for the doubles. The doubles specialist bussinees is nonsense if you have two top 100 singles plays one of whom is top 10ish and on the up unless it's the Bryan's/Nestor or equivalent

I disagree with you that the whole doubles specialist thing is nonsense. There are certain skills that suit doubles that these days singles players will never really have as they just don't play enough doubles to fully develop them. I personally think the mix of a doubles specialist with a singles player is the best mix and ideally you want the singles player to have powerful groundstrokes hoping to unsettle the opponents doubles specialist who will often be a little down on power and not so used to facing power so I would go with Joss and then either Jo or Laura (Healthers in better form but Laura has had more of a chance to form a relationship with Joss and her ground strokes carry more weight to them. Jo doesnt have the relationship with Joss but has powerfrul and consitent groundstrokes and is obviously in the best form of any of our players)

PaulM · Tennis legend

For me you either go Hev and Joss (played together plenty of times in past) or Jo and Hev for a live doubles (played together, both far better than their doubles rankings because they play intermittently).

To make a difference to the outcome a doubles specialist really has to be high ranked. You see it week in week out, beyond the very best doubles players, two decent singles players will tend to win against an average doubles pairing. It's one reason why Anna and Joss are where they are.

If Joss was top 15/10 in the world then yeah you build the pair around her, but she's barely top 100, she's a solid component of the team but isn't undroppable in a final live tie. Plus, Hev and Jo are for me superior doubles players anyway. I don't mean that to sound harsh, Joss has done great and I know she will step up if she needs to tomorrow to do the business, I just don't buy this idea we have to have a doubles specialist or that it gives us any kind of edge when that specialist is ranked lower and had less impressive results than most of our singles options.

Jurak is actually pretty shaky, she's had some good results and secured some good partners over the years but once you are up at that level it's fairly easy to maintain your ranking in a best 11 because you only need half a dozen good weeks in the year with the points on offer in the big events.

If Jo is involved in a tough 3 setter either way, it would be good to have the fresher legs assuming they go with Konjuh/Jurak. But for me Hev is the best doubles player we have and she gets a start, just a question of with who.

-- Edited by PaulM on Friday 10th of February 2017 10:01:52 PM

indiana · Tennis legend

So a range of doubles opinions

I think that we have probably just about covered the lot. Over to you, Anne, though hope it doesn't matter.

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

Just catching up...excellent stuff so far; great chance tomorrow :D
Yep, hopefully it won't come down to the dubs but if so Jo and Heather should get the nod as our best doubles players (current dubs rankings notwithstanding).
Go, Team GBR :)