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

hoots · Intermediate Club Player

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

indiana · Tennis legend

Katie maybe if and only if it goes 3-0. Before that we are still in the tie if just clinging on.

Indeed, great effort from Harriet. Even missed 2nd serve returns would look much better if they had gone in and it is useful to keep that threat

paulisi · Tennis legend

Gutsy effort, but Kuzmova should have won that a lot earlier if she hadn't got so tight.

foobarbaz · Strong Club Player

Katie should play the first match tomorrow, she is fresh, she has a chance. GB needs to win the first match and she is the one to do it.

indiana · Tennis legend

Been done before a few years ago by Judy Murray away to Sweden.

Laura came in on day 2 for an out of form #1 Bally and almost pulled it off. But Laura was a better option then than I see Katie as here.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Some of the other ties are finely poised.

Netherlands 1 Belarus 1

Romania 1 Russia 1

Belgium 1 Kazakhstan 1

Brazil 0 Germany 2

Spain 2 Japan 0

Switzerland 2 Canada 0

USA vs Latvia in the early hours.

I kind of wish we had a less 'winnable' tie now. Im a huge fan of the revamped Fed Cup (the idea anyway, we'll have to see how it turns out...), but without Konta, Hungary would have been extremely tough, although I would have still loved to see us there, so was content that we drew Slovakia. However, now that if looks like we'll go out (which to be fair we were expected to, with our line up and players at our disposal), I'd have rather we drew a Latvia or someone, as a big name slam winner like Ostapenko, and a (usually) solid pro in Sevastova would have offered the finals more than Slovakia IMO. There'll be some solid nations, and big name players going out, but looking at it neutrally, one of these had to make it, and that looks to be Slovakia at this moment.

Harriet can hold her head up high though, as she just never went away in that final set.

PaulM · Tennis legend

I just can't envisage Heather beating Kuzmova, hence why I thought worth a punt.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Foofarbaz is constantly raving about Katie S, he/she must see something a bit different to me.

I'd personally keep the same 2, assuming they are both good to go, not sure who would have to play first, or if lots are drawn, and if we do lose the first (or 3rd) rubber, and they do play the 4th rubber, then I'd personally go with Emma.

indiana · Tennis legend

It's #1 vs #1 first so presumably Kuzmova vs Heather ( or sub )

HarryGem · Club Coach

paulisi wrote:
Gutsy effort, but Kuzmova should have won that a lot earlier if she hadn't got so tight.

Agree completely. Kuzmova looked like a player who has barely won a match for ages. Good fight from Harriet but in the end quality and experience won the day.

Only good thing is that Kuzmova will not have a decent recovery time following that nearly 3 hour match and will have used up a lot of energy both physical and mental in getting over the line. Heather on the other hand has hardly been on court and despite her loss has a good chance to win.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
It's #1 vs #1 first so presumably Kuzmova vs Heather ( or sub )

Thanks, in thst case, I'd stick with Heather if I was Anne.

foobarbaz · Strong Club Player

Let's see what happens tomorrow Ace. What I saw was how Swan played in the US 60k's last year, and especially how she played against Dabin Kim, even though she lost in the 3rd set tiebreak. The times are changing at the top of GB tennis, the youngsters are making a move, I say let em play.

PaulM · Tennis legend

I also like the idea of new format but frustrating it came when it did for GB, it made last year pointless, and this year it's the easiest it's ever been to get out EA1 as 4 teams are being promoted instead of 2. And of course we don't have Jo to capitalise on the opportunity to get to the finals and finish in the top 10.

So we could go through all this just to end up having to play Ukraine at full strength in April!

But I do think they could have worked in an additional stage of home and away ties, and maybe had a finals week when it typically has been at the end of the year with 6 teams maybe, playing in two pools of 3 and winners face for title?

-- Edited by PaulM on Friday 7th of February 2020 08:49:35 PM

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

foobarbaz wrote:
Let's see what happens tomorrow Ace. What I saw was how Swan played in the US 60k's last year, and especially how she played against Dabin Kim, even though she lost in the 3rd set tiebreak. The times are changing at the top of GB tennis, the youngsters are making a move, I say let em play.

Yeah, that was the match that particularly stood out, I remember you saying something like Katie was class whatever happens here. I think you were suspecting foul play in Kim as well if I remember correctly, although needless to say, Kim seems to have reverted back to that circa 500 level since that tournament:

16-Dec-2019

W25 Navi Mumbai

Hard

R32

344

147

(1)Barbara Haas [AUT] d. Kim

7-6(4) 6-0

09-Dec-2019

W25 Pune

Hard

R32

344

309

(8)Peangtarn Plipuech [THA] d. Kim

7-6(8) 6-4

11-Nov-2019

W100 Tokyo

Hard

R32

348

198

Xinyun Han [CHN] d. Kim

6-3 6-1

04-Nov-2019

W100 Shenzhen

Hard

Q1

346

572

Jiaxi Lu [CHN] d. (14)Kim

2-6 6-3 [10-7]

2

ct-2019

W60 Liuzhou

Hard

R32

345

235

Arina Rodionova [RUS] d. Kim

6-0 6-2

2

ct-2019

W60 Liuzhou

Hard

Q2

345

255

Fangzhou Liu [CHN] d. (9)Kim

6-2 6-1

2

ct-2019

W60 Liuzhou

Hard

Q1

345

508

(9)Kim d. Meiling Wang [CHN]

3-6 6-3 [16-14]

16-Sep-2019

Seoul

Hard

Q1

340

143

(6)Ana Bogdan [ROU] d. Kim

6-1 6-0

0.42

3.0%

15.2%

51.5%

41.2%

25.0%

3/8

0:57

26-Aug-2019

W60 Jinan

Hard

R32

336

417

(Q)Aldila Sutjiadi [INA] d. Kim

2-6 6-3 6-0

19-Aug-2019

W25 Guiyang

Hard

QF

329

291

Su Jeong Jang [KOR] d. (6)Kim

6-2 6-2

19-Aug-2019

W25 Guiyang

Hard

R16

329

553

(6)Kim d. Yidi Yang [CHN]

6-3 6-4

19-Aug-2019

W25 Guiyang

Hard

R32

329

763

(6)Kim d. Da Hye Kim [KOR]

6-4 6-3

29-Jul-2019

W60 Lexington KY

Hard

F

492

170

(Q)Kim d. (2)Ann Li [USA]

6-1 6-3

29-Jul-2019

W60 Lexington KY

Hard

SF

492

174

(Q)Kim d. Na Lae Han [KOR]

7-5 3-1 RET

29-Jul-2019

W60 Lexington KY

Hard

QF

492

240

(Q)Kim d. (8)Katie Swan [GBR]

6-2 2-6 7-6(6)

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

PaulM wrote:
I also like the idea of new format but frustrating it came when it did for GB, it made last year pointless, and this year it's the easiest it's ever been to get out EA1 as 4 teams are being promoted instead of 2. And of course we don't have Jo to capitalise on the opportunity to get to the finals and finish in the top 10.

So we could go through all this just to end up having to play Ukraine at full strength in April!

But I do think they could have worked in an additional stage of home and away ties, and maybe had a finals week when it typically has been at the end of the year with 6 teams maybe, playing in two pools of 3 and winners face for title?

-- Edited by PaulM on Friday 7th of February 2020 08:49:35 PM

Yeah, I'd be in favour of something like that, an extra round of home and away, but maybe 8 nations in the finals later in the year.

There are plenty of solid sides not involved at this stage - Ukraine as you mention, Poland (Linette, Swiatek), and China have a batch of top 50 players these days, and even Taiwan with SWH and the Chans. I'm not sure I'd fancy our chances against any of those without Jo.