Fed Cup 2019 World Group II Play-Off - Great Britain vs Kazakhstan- 20-21 April

Michael D · All-time great

RE: Fed Cup 2019 World Group II Play-Off - Great Britain vs Kazakhstan- 20-21 April

SuperT · Futures level

ROSAMUND wrote:
indiana wrote:
Waiting for Kazakhstan, presumably away, having beaten them at home to finally get into a non existant World Group II.
Recent comment on twitter by Stuart Fraser that with hindsight Katie Boulter's decision to play on day 2 of the Fed Cup in April was disastrous. She hasn't played since, her ranking has dropped all for a tie that effectively turned out to be meaningless.Don't suppose Billie- Jean King will be losing any sleep over it.

I've been thinking that for a while now. Even if World Group II still existed, getting there wouldn't have been worth all the damage playing day 2 did to Katie's health and career!

Michael D · All-time great

I would think both Judy M's and Annie K's views on the subject are pretty unprintable. It took us a decade or so to get there... for nothing.

-- Edited by Michael D on Friday 16th of August 2019 04:30:29 PM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I think a lot of people said that, both at the time and since. Of course, 20-20 hindsight is a very useful tool but for those of us who really don't care much about fed cup/Davis cup, it's really infuriating to see huge injuries coming from it. At least Jodie messed up her ankle (again) in the pursuit of what could have been an important singles victory....

Oakland2002 · All-time great

SuperT wrote:
ROSAMUND wrote:
indiana wrote:
Waiting for Kazakhstan, presumably away, having beaten them at home to finally get into a non existant World Group II.
Recent comment on twitter by Stuart Fraser that with hindsight Katie Boulter's decision to play on day 2 of the Fed Cup in April was disastrous. She hasn't played since, her ranking has dropped all for a tie that effectively turned out to be meaningless.Don't suppose Billie- Jean King will be losing any sleep over it.
I've been thinking that for a while now. Even if World Group II still existed, getting there wouldn't have been worth all the damage playing day 2 did to Katie's health and career!

It is very difficult to know exactly what has resulted in Katie being in the position she is now, undoubtedly playing injured didnt help but players do that all the time, often when the rewards are far less tangible. Katie also had a year out at the end of her junior career to get to the point where she was able to be such a key component in our Fed cup team shows immense resilience and in itself one of her greatest achievements in her career so far. I know commentators make a career from hyperbole and have to say something but careers are defined by their peaks, not to try to climb them is self defeating and on this occasion she aggravated an injury on a background of previous serious injuries, she didnt die at the summit. We won and the team have memmories they will never forget.

the addict · Tennis legend

Waitng nervously for the Kazkhaway announcement........

Any minute now

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Avoided Russia and Latvia which is probably good as they are the 2 main ones with multiple obvious threats.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Slovakia by process of elimination. Last out. Prefer them to Kazakhstan I think.

the addict · Tennis legend

I was one ball out ! But it is away ..........

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

One of few nations without a top player. Kuzmova has stalled since that RG hammering by Jo. Schmeidlova looks like she has had surgery and is out for a while. Cibulkova not played for ages, and Rybarikova is now outside the top 150. A lot can change in 6 months, but that's not a bad draw, relatively anyway.

They have won their last two ties at home - Russia in Feb 2018 on hard, and Brazil in April 2019 on clay, so could be on either of those. Konta obviously did well this year, but I think I'd choose clay if I was them and it was available.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Ace Ventura wrote:
One of few nations without a top player. Kuzmova has stalled since that RG hammering by Jo. Schmeidlova looks like she has had surgery and is out for a while. Cibulkova not played for ages, and Rybarikova is now outside the top 150. A lot can change in 6 months, but that's not a bad draw, relatively anyway.

They have won their last two ties at home - Russia in Feb 2018 on hard, and Brazil in April 2019 on clay, so could be on either of those. Konta obviously did well this year, but I think I'd choose clay if I was them and it was available.

Let's not forget that Katie Boulter did well too this year before her back injury.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Ace Ventura wrote:
Slovakia by process of elimination. Last out. Prefer them to Kazakhstan I think.

Does Slovakia have accompanying musicians like Kazakhstan? At least travelling to Slovakia to follow the British team will a be possibility that certainly Kazakhstan and Russia weren't.

indiana · Tennis legend

ROSAMUND wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
Slovakia by process of elimination. Last out. Prefer them to Kazakhstan I think.
Does Slovakia have accompanying musicians like Kazakhstan? At least travelling to Slovakia to follow the British team will a be possibility that certainly Kazakhstan and Russia weren't.

confuse

Russia is certainly very possible, especially if in any main city. I quite liked what relatively little I have seen of Russia - ie in Moscow and St Petersburg. And they did stage the Football World Cup for hosts of foreign fans last year. Get a visa, book a hotel, jump on a plane.

Kazakhstan would be interesting.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Is it possible for the Fed Cup to be renamed the Billie Jean King cup in honour of Billie Jean?

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Ace Ventura wrote:
One of few nations without a top player. Kuzmova has stalled since that RG hammering by Jo. Schmeidlova looks like she has had surgery and is out for a while. Cibulkova not played for ages, and Rybarikova is now outside the top 150. A lot can change in 6 months, but that's not a bad draw, relatively anyway.

They have won their last two ties at home - Russia in Feb 2018 on hard, and Brazil in April 2019 on clay, so could be on either of those. Konta obviously did well this year, but I think I'd choose clay if I was them and it was available.

Maybe, but it won't be a young British player breaking through what we can really do with. Our current top 2 are still Jo and Heather who were our top 2 in 2014. I accept things might have been different if Katie Boulter had stayed fit.