Fed Cup 2019 - Euro/Africa Zone Group 1 - Bath, GB

indiana · Tennis legend

Fed Cup 2019 - Euro/Africa Zone Group 1 - Bath, GB

foobarbaz · Strong Club Player

indiana wrote:
mbturner wrote:
Heather is back in the gym after flu. She will need some good results to feature in the next team.
If fit and in any sort of form Heather should certainly make a team of 5. That team picks itself at the moment.
I read that Jeremy Bates said she wouldn't have played anyway in Bath but how under the weather was she already earlier in the week? On the face of it she is at least a much more obvious doubles partner for Harriet than Katie Swan.

I got the impression listening to Anne Keothavong that the criteria for selection is current form in singles play, and therefore the doubles pairing would be decided on the day. Both Harriet and Katie S. would have been prepared to play singles if injury to either Jo or Katie B were to have occurred. Lets say if such an injury had occurred early on in the tournament, then it would be too much to expect Harriet to potentially play 3 singles matches, so Katie Swan would have played at least one, maybe even two of those singles matches. Harriet and Katie S were playing doubles partly to prepare them in case they were needed for singles play. The fifth player is probably not going to be playing, and is mostly there in case one of the players turns up with an injury at the start. I could be mistaken, but that's how I see it.

indiana · Tennis legend

foobarbaz wrote:
indiana wrote:
mbturner wrote:
Heather is back in the gym after flu. She will need some good results to feature in the next team.
If fit and in any sort of form Heather should certainly make a team of 5. That team picks itself at the moment.
I read that Jeremy Bates said she wouldn't have played anyway in Bath but how under the weather was she already earlier in the week? On the face of it she is at least a much more obvious doubles partner for Harriet than Katie Swan.
I got the impression listening to Anne Keothavong that the criteria for selection is current form in singles play, and therefore the doubles pairing would be decided on the day. Both Harriet and Katie S. would have been prepared to play singles if injury to either Jo or Katie B were to have occurred. Lets say if such an injury had occurred early on in the tournament, then it would be too much to expect Harriet to potentially play 3 singles matches, so Katie Swan would have played at least one, maybe even two of those singles matches. Harriet and Katie S were playing doubles partly to prepare them in case they were needed for singles play. The fifth player is probably not going to be playing, and is mostly there in case one of the players turns up with an injury at the start. I could be mistaken, but that's how I see it.

Interesting if debatable criteria for selection if this was the case. With each tie already at 2-0 I guess I can see some sense in giving your most likely back-up singles players court time.

However we are in a quite different scenario in the World Group 2 Play-Off match. On the first day 2 singles matches and on the second day 2 cross-over singles matches and the doubles to conclude.

So the doubles being last would be no preparation for singles play and all in all it would make sense for the doubles to simply pick the best looking pair, taking into account how the singles players came out of these matches if there was any thought of playing one or both in the doubles. I believe the final doubles selection can be left until the conclusion of the singles.

So on this occasion, at the moment, well though Harriet and Katie Swan did in the group week, for the play-off, especially if our singles players are Jo and Katie and if the doubles is the decider, Harriet and Heather does look the best option unless for some reason they just don't gel.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Re doubles combinations and singles players, one of the reasons we lost to Japan was because they had an established doubles pairing and we didn't. Anna Smith who was a doubles player went all the way to Japan and was never used. Seemingly the plan had been to use Heather and Jo for all the matches. Re 2019 and onwards, I cannot help but thinking that Heather playing a crucial doubles with a partner she has never played with is a recipe for disaster. One partnership that was successful in doubles last year in Estonia was Laura Robson and Katie Boulter. Perhaps Laura could be considered for doubles again when she regains fitness. The one player I would not pick for doubles is Jo.Fortunately that wasn't going to happen in Bath. I'm not sure why a combination of Heather and Harriet is a better combination than Harriet and Katie Swan. Looking to the future surely it is a partnership we want to develop.

indiana · Tennis legend

I was proposing Harriet and Heather because I consider all evidence to be that Heather is a very good doubles player and I would have certainly thought better than Katie Swan, and Harriet has had a fair amount of doubles success in the last year. I did put in the proviso that this was unless there was a real problem with Harriet and Heather gelling. And clearly it assumes both fit and healthy as well.

I don't disagree with a place in the team of 5 for a significant specialist doubles player. Without Anna we haven't really got one but if Anna is fit and back to form then yes a place could again be there for her, especially with teams of 5 now. I am not so sure about Laura for now even without any repeat teaming up with Katie B probably being an issue if Katie B is playing singles. Time may be against both Anna and Laura for the coming play-off tie.

Re looking to the future, my first priority would be picking to win in the here and now if the doubles is a live decider and we have to be prepared for that eventuality.

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 15th of February 2019 11:36:09 AM

SuperT · Futures qualifying

I agree with Indi. Jo and Katie B are the obvious picks for singles but neither plays doubles on a regular basis, so I would play Heather and Harriet. Of course they may not gel, but they are both naturally gifted doubles players with good results on the Tour, and personally I would love the opportunity to see how successful they could be together. I feel the main reason for Heather's recent poor form has been mental fragility. She often looks a bit lost on tour and not having and not having a regular coach with her for a few months clearly didn't help. She's a very sociable girl and loves the team atmosphere of Fed Cup. Having Anne and the other girls supporting her always seems to raise her level of play, so if she's fit I would definitely pick her. Katie S may have to miss out this time, but her time will come. She's on the rise and I wouldn't bet against her playing singles in a year or two.

foobarbaz · Strong Club Player

Interesting discussion, I do agree that the WG2 Play-Off being a single tie, best of 5 rubbers, over two days, format changes the dynamics a little bit. However, we still need to win 2 of the 4 singles matches, before the doubles 5th rubber comes into play. The best chance of winning the tie is to have your 4 best singles players on current form ready to play at least one singles match each. Again, the reasoning revolves around players picking up illness/injury. We can be 2-nil down at the end of day 1, with our two best players not at their best, but the other two can come in, on Day 2, perform minor miracles, and give us a chance. Maybe in that scenario, the 5th player could be in the frame to play in the doubles, but that would be a big call by the management. Each of the four singles players would be wanting to finish the job in that case. Any other scenario, I don't think the 5th player would get a look in. Having said that, perhaps if the opposition have a stand-out doubles specialist ....

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

I would go for Jo and Katie B as the main singles players (obviously) with Harriet as #1 and Katie Swan as #2 back up singles . Harriet and Heather as dubs as they are our best two dubs players. I don't rate Jo as a dubs player and Katie B's energy levels may well be suspect after the singles and, for health reasons, she has not regularly played dubs for a long time. Laura's game still has a long way to go before being back in the frame for either singles or dubs.