Week 5 - Fed Cup Qualifier - Slovakia vs GB - Bratislava (Indoor Clay)

ROSAMUND · Futures level

RE: Week 5 - Fed Cup Qualifier - Slovakia vs GB - Bratislava (Indoor Clay)

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Jan wrote:
I've seen that it will be on BBC red button and BBC and LTA websites. Hope this isn't fake news!

That would be good if true, so pretty much everyone can watch (if they want to), and you can record the red button on some platforms. BBC 1/2 would have been better for ratings and general interest, but that's probably unrealistic at this stage.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Ace Ventura wrote:
Jan wrote:
I've seen that it will be on BBC red button and BBC and LTA websites. Hope this isn't fake news!
That would be good if true, so pretty much everyone can watch (if they want to), and you can record the red button on some platforms. BBC 1/2 would have been better for ratings and general interest, but that's probably unrealistic at this stage.

BBC 1/2 didn't show the competition last year either when it played in London and Bath.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

ROSAMUND wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
Jan wrote:
I've seen that it will be on BBC red button and BBC and LTA websites. Hope this isn't fake news!
That would be good if true, so pretty much everyone can watch (if they want to), and you can record the red button on some platforms. BBC 1/2 would have been better for ratings and general interest, but that's probably unrealistic at this stage.
BBC 1/2 didn't show the competition last year either when it played in London and Bath.

Yep, both on BT Sport, and although not accessible to everyone, they provided excellent coverage, particularly at the Copper Box, but that's a dedicated sports broadcaster with 4 channels and it was also the home of women's tennis for 6 years, so they had the platform to be able to do that. They seem out of the tennis business, certainly for now anyway, and although the Davis Cup did get shown on the flagship BBC channels, and there's generally more equality now, I still think this stage of the competition, considering the current squad, and opposition (no household names), it would be a bit of a stretch for BBC 1 or 2 to dedicate 10+ hours over a weekend to cover it, but the red button would be a more than adequate compromise, if indeed they are showing it.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Just doing a bit more digging on squad selections. Ukraine have named Svitolina, Yastremska, Tsurenko, and then Kozlova and Zavatska as their 5 members. Kozlova is kind of like our equivalent of Watson, hovvering around the 100 mark for the last couple of years, dipping in and out. Seems crazy that a squad like that are still in the Euro / Africa group level (like Bath last year), and a bit of a shame they definitely won't be involved in Hungary in April, but surely they'll get out of it this time.

www.fedcup.com/en/draws-results/group-i/europe-africa/2020.aspx

I also noticed still no Garland in the Taiwan squad - they've gone for the Chan sisters, Hsieh, the former AO jr winner Liang, and a 15 year old (Yang) who actually beat Jo in a Taiwan WTA 125k event a few months ago, so perhaps Jo just hasn't been picked on merit, as that is a reasonably strong squad, certainly the first 3 anyway, but could still be significant in that she's keeping her options open, as although she could still switch to GB even if she played for Taiwan, I still look at it a bit like international football, and it would be far less likely if she committed to Taiwan, making herself ineligible to represent GB at FC and the Olympics at a later date (similar to Bedene).

China's squad is very strong for that level, 3 top 50 players and Peng, and I think that's the doubles Xu who often partners Dabrowski in the slams, so they should have no problems advancing really.

www.fedcup.com/en/draws-results/group-i/asia-oceania/2020.aspx

I'm quite looking forward to all of this starting, especially the actual play off qualifiers.

Status Quo · Intermediate Club Player

Hev, who is apparently now an official BBC Sports Columnist, has provided a story in that capacity about preparations for this tie, and other asides: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/51384252

mbturner · Lower Club Player

Probably had to write it herself for the BBC to give the competition some coverage.

the addict · Tennis legend

Draw is out

On Friday
1. Heather Watson WR74 v Anna Schmiedlova WR199
2. Harriet Dart WR141 v Victoria Kuzmova WR65

On Saturday
Reverse singles
3. Heather Watson WR74 v Victoria Kuzmova WR65
4. Harriet Dart WR141 v Anna Schmiedlova WR199

(Players may change of course)

5. Naiktha Bains WR204 / Emma Raducanu UNR v Magdalena Rybarikova WR980 / Victoria Kuzmova WR65

Rankings from Fed Cup website player profiles

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

No surprise with the singles players for either team, especially after Rybarikova pretty much ruled herself out of singles a couple of weeks ago.

Assuming it's still live, I can't see that being the doubles pair we put out.

the addict · Tennis legend

No, much as I'l like Naiktha and Emma to get a match for the experience, I would think Heather and Harriet would play all the live rubbers. Katie might get a chance if we lose the first three.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Just seen on another website that Jo has a wild card for St Petersburg which starts on Monday. She leaves herself open to criticism for not playing Fed Cup certainly if Britain fail to win the tie. Most of the top players are playing in the Fed Cup including Serena who hasn't played for some time. The other top player missing is Simona Halep.

seagull · Hall of fame

So Jo is down for St Petes, Dubai, Qatar, Monterray and Indian Wells next 5 weeks!

ROSAMUND · Futures level

seagull wrote:
So Jo is down for St Petes, Dubai, Qatar, Monterray and Indian Wells next 5 weeks!

Must be trying to get points to qualify for the Olympics then.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

seagull wrote:
So Jo is down for St Petes, Dubai, Qatar, Monterray and Indian Wells next 5 weeks!

And presumably Miami the event after indian wells...

foobarbaz · Strong Club Player

the addict wrote:
No, much as I'l like Naiktha and Emma to get a match for the experience, I would think Heather and Harriet would play all the live rubbers. Katie might get a chance if we lose the first three.

Katie, assuming she's not ill, will be the reserve singles player in case of injury or illness to Heather/Harriet. She isn't there just to play in a meaningless rubber, she's there to win a crucial singles match if called upon. That's the way I see it anyway.