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

PaulM · Tennis legend

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

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

Obviously it's just luck but that doesn't stop me being thoroughly pissed off by this draw. We deserved a lot better after the effort involved in getting out of the regional group. Any of the other draws I would have been ok with. Romania made a mess of a perfectly good draw at home to Belgium over the weekend but it's unlikely they will be as bad again.

Peter too · Tennis legend

So who do we play in the doubles, Joss and Anna, Jo and Heather, Joss and Laura?

newman · Improver

Joss and another, Joss is by far the best doubles player we have.

indiana · Tennis legend

Peter too wrote:
So who do we play in the doubles, Joss and Anna, Jo and Heather, Joss and Laura?

It does look that we will do very well to get to 2-2, but not impossible even if Simona plays. Then what a vital doubles that would be and so important to get it right.

First the team. I certainly think it's less important to have a third singles player for the one off tie than the week series and if you have a really good doubles pair who give you much more chance of a win there is a very good case for going with them.

Thing is with Joss and Anna though I am not sure they do. They are pretty good at their best when they clearly look well inside top 100 level. But so good I'd say no. And the third singles player still does give you options. In Sweden, Laura came in on the second day for an off-form Bally.

So I'd probably at this stage go again with three singles players, thus ruling out Jossanna as a doubles option, probably indeed with the same team and probably the same doubles pair depending on how Jo and Heather came out of their singles.

Always subject to a couple of.months to go re the team selection and form making say Tara even more into contention vs Laura ( not sure how Tara is on clay, probably not great since nothing springs to mind ) or Joss and Anna getting on a real roll.

PS: Does seem to be an assumption that the tie will be on clay. Clearly Simona if she plays has the tools as a past French Open runner-up, even if her Roland Garros record otherwise is not great purely in comparison. I don't know in general what their stengths are, but then they will know a Jo weakness.

skibbarriz · Strong Club Player

I feel sorry for the girls. They deserve something better than the current Fed Cup. Something that enables them to showcase womens tennis in the UK.

wolf · Tennis legend

Pic of Philwrig getting a selfie with the team on the BBC article about the Romania tie.

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

Yes that's a toughie cry
That said, Halep and Begu have both had underwhelming starts to 2017 so I'm not counting us out just yet smile

-- Edited by vohor on Tuesday 14th of February 2017 01:33:18 PM

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

wolf wrote:
Pic of Philwrig getting a selfie with the team on the BBC article about the Romania tie.

YAY for that hat biggrin

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/38966581

indiana · Tennis legend

vohor wrote:
wolf wrote:
Pic of Philwrig getting a selfie with the team on the BBC article about the Romania tie.
YAY for that hat
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/38966581

Yay, a Heather pout while taking pic ( multi-talented that girl ) and THE HAT. All good biggrin

the addict · Tennis legend

Not as good as Phil's pic ;)

philwrig · Hall of fame

Oh dear, a guy on twitter sent me a link of all the getty images filed for last week, and I knew that photo was lurking on there. I think Hev took about 5 selfie pics, and with that being the last one Laura had already left the buliding.

Looking at the draw, the team were desperate moreso for a winnable tie, to guarantee to get us out of that awful zone week, now assuming Halep is back it becomes a bit of a nightmare. HOWEVER lets look at the positive side, I don't think Halep played last year when 100% fit, so it can't be guaranteed she will play, Hev has the wood over Cirstea, and they were dreadful against an average Belgian team. With there being 4 singles rubbers, doubles is far less important than in Estonia, so we still IMO have a good chance, if not a gilt edged one, like with any luck we probably would have done.

verveandsolley · Junior player

so whos up for a trip to Bucharest then? I seriously am!

indiana · Tennis legend

I assume that THE HAT will be in Bucharest ( or possibly some other Romanian place that I have probably never heard of ) if its owner can make it.

I did make Sweden back in 2012 ( where there was a Phil, but I don't recall THE HAT at that time ).

Hmm ...

philwrig · Hall of fame

I think I'll probably make a late call, looks like the venue they used this time and last year (mid April) was an indoor hard court so......