|
Post by jimm on Sept 11, 2008 11:27:00 GMT
September 10, 2008
Russia, Spain Off To Madrid for 2008 Fed Cup Final
MADRID, Spain - The 46th edition of Fed Cup by BNP Paribas reaches its conclusion in Madrid, Spain this coming weekend, as the Russian and Spanish teams square off on the outdoor red clay courts of the Club de Campo. They are both multiple champions.
Leading the Russian team will be Top 10 singles players Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva. Kuznetsova, currently ranked No.7, and Zvonareva, No.9 in the world, both had disappointing US Opens, with the former falling in the third round and the latter losing in the second round. But they have both had a series of strong results this season and will be formidable in the singles rubbers this weekend. Rounding out the team are Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova, both talented singles players as well as accomplished doubles players.
The Spanish team won't boast any Top 10 players in singles but their Top 2 are both in the Top 50, namely world No.29 Anabel Medina Garrigues and No.49 Carla Suárez Navarro. They are more dangerous than their rankings on clay however, with Medina Garrigues winning seven of her eight Sony Ericsson WTA Tour titles on the surface, and the young Suárez Navarro reaching her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the French Open a few months ago. Former Top 40 player Nuria Llagostera Vives and Virginia Ruano Pascual, a former No.1 in doubles and the reigning French Open champion with Medina Garrigues, round out the foursome.
Both teams have won the Fed Cup before. Russia is 3-2 in finals, taking the title in 2004, 2005 and last year; Spain is 5-5 in finals, winning in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1998. The two teams have met five times previously with Russia ahead in the series 4-1, including a 5-0 win in the first round last year.
Russia is tied for fifth amongst the all-time Fed Cup title leaders, after the United States (17), Australia (seven), Spain and the Czech Republic (five), and equal with Germany (three).
Hmmm. Not sure about this one. I think the Russians will have to win their singles matches. If it comes to the Doubles as the deciding rubber, Spain must be favourites
|
|
|
Post by jimm on Sept 13, 2008 20:36:42 GMT
Zvonareva puts Russia ahead
Russia’s wish for a successful defense of their 2007 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas title was given a lift when their No. 2 Vera Zvonareva defeated the Spanish No. 1 Anabel Medina Garrigues 63 64 to give the holders the first point in the 2008 Final. Under perfect conditions at the Club de Campo in suburban Madrid, Zvonareva recovered from a break at the start of the second set to defeat the Spaniard, converting her first match point with an emphatic cross-court forehand to seal victory.
Spain’s best hopes of winning a sixth Fed Cup title needed a good start from their No. 1 Medina but the Olympic bronze medallist Zvonareva had other ideas taking the first three games of the first set. Medina looked shaky and very down on herself but regrouped, breaking back and then serving at 40-15 to level the set. Zvonareva, however, won the next four points to regain the break and the upperhand in the set.The Russian No. 1, currently ranked 8 in the world, went on to serve out the first set 6-3.
Medina gains momentum
Medina started the second set by dropping serve in the opening game and things looked bleak for the Spanish after Zvonareva held serve for 2-0. But the momentum turned and Medina won the next four games for a 4-2 lead. In the seventh game, Medina dropped to 0-40 on her serve but, having clawed back two break points, Zvonareva finally converted and the set was back on serve.
With Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev looking on impassively, Zvonareva held serve to level the set at 4-4 and then pushed Medina on her serve. At 30-40, Medina committed an unforced error to hand the game to her opponent who will serve for the match at 5-4. The Russian fans came to life with flags flying in the stands at the Club de Campo in Madrid and celebrations continued as Zvonareva held serve to win the match and give Russia the lead in the tie.
"Happy to get through this one" - Zvonareva
"It's tough to play the first match, and I'm happy to get through this one," said Zvonareva. "I lost a little concentration in the middle of the second set and committed a few unforced errors while she came up with some good shots, but I was really happy that I could rais emy level again," she continued.
"She played very well. I couldn't find any consistency, which is key against a Top 10 player. My game was very up-and-down. I am always very nervous in the first match of the tie and today was the same. I found some consistency in the second set but could not maintain it."
Spanish fortunes will rest on their No. 2 Carla Suarez Navarro against former world No. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova.
|
|
|
Post by jimm on Sept 13, 2008 20:40:17 GMT
Kuznetsova too strong for Suarez Navarro Russia looks on course to secure its fourth Fed Cup by BNP Paribas title in five years after it took a 2-0 lead at the end of the first day. Svetlana Kuznetsova ensured it needs just one point from the remaining three matches to take victory after outclassing Carla Suarez-Navarro in straight sets 63 61.
The Russian hurtled to a 4-0 lead at the start of the first set before Suarez Navarro managed to get a game on the scoreboard. This achievement seemed to settle the 20-year-old’s nerves and give her a huge confidence boost and she subsequently broke Kuznetsova and then held serve to get right back into the match at 4-3. This provoked much flag waving, and cheerstix banging in the stadium and prompted Spanish captain Miguel Margets onto his feet.
Unfortunately this was as close as it got. Despite taking the eighth game to deuce, Suarez Navarro was unable to sustain the momentum. Kuznetsova produced a high number of unforced errors, but these were intertwined with some outright winners, as she took the set 6-3.
Kuznetsova too strong
The second set started in much the same way as the former US Open champion accelerated to a 3-0 lead. Her blistering forehand was just too much for Suarez Navarro, who seemed overawed by her first Fed Cup Final, committing several double faults throughout the match. She did however secure one game in the second set before Kuznetsova closed out the match 63 61 in one hour and 20 minutes.
"The key to the match was not to beat myself. I started to rush and try to play too well and she came back but then I started to take my time again and got back on top," explained Kuznetsova. "I get so much passion and energy when playing Fed Cup, I don't think about how I have been playing [in the past months] and just do my best."
"She was a very difficult opponent, she was forcing to play very deep in the court," said Suarez Navarro.
”Even more difficult now” - Margets
Spanish captain Miguel Margets said that the Russians’ previous Fed Cup final experience was key: “The difference is that this is the first final for my players and they started a little slowly.”
Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev may have stated in yesterday’s press conference that tennis is a game you can never predict but there was nothing unpredictable about today’s results. His opposite number is well aware that his team have a mountain to climb if there is any hope of them winning this final.
"At the start of the tie, it was very difficult, now it's even more difficult but we will continue to work hard.. We will learn from today. They need to be able to play at the same level as the Russians for the whole match, not just some of it," Margets said.
|
|
|
Post by Supermarion on Sept 13, 2008 21:19:19 GMT
One would have thought home advantage and clay would've equalised things a bit more. But I guess the disparity in ranking is just too great.
I think clay should be renamed the Spanish Surface.
|
|
|
Post by jimm on Sept 14, 2008 13:05:46 GMT
Russia retain Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Russia are once again the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas champions after Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues 57 63 64 GAME, SET & MATCH RUSSIA There it is!! Russia have won the 2008 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas title as the whole squad come on court to swamp Svetlana Kuznetsova. Great scenes. More later YAY!!!
|
|
|
Post by jimm on Sept 14, 2008 20:35:32 GMT
Tennis-Russia lift fourth Fed Cup in five years
Sun Sep 14, 2008 4:24pm BST By Ben Harding
MADRID, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Russia lifted the Fed Cup for the fourth time in five seasons on Sunday after Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Spanish number one Anabel Medina Garrigues and their doubles pair completed a whitewash.
The world number seven's 5-7 6-3 6-4 victory in two hours and 39 minutes gave Russia an unassailable 3-0 lead that was achieved despite the absence of the country's top three players and underlined Russia's dominance of the women's game.
The victory for Kuznetsova, who had not won a tournament all year, was no easy matter, however. Medina Garrigues fought bravely with the noisy backing of the near full 4,000-seater stadium, before finally running out of steam in the last set.
"Today it was important for me," said the 23-year-old from St Petersburg. "I felt very nervous, I had so many ups and downs but still, bringing the win for my team, it's amazing".
As on Saturday, Medina Garrigues, ranked 29, in the world was slow out of the blocks, meekly conceding her first two service games in the face of her opponent's powerful groundstrokes.
Kuznetsova seemed to be cruising but in the fifth game, the 26-year-old Spaniard somehow produced a fizzing crosscourt backhand off a Kuznetsova smash to set up a break and then hold her own serve in the following game.
The first set swung decisively the way of the Spanish Olympic doubles silver medallist in the ninth when Kuznetsova squandered four set points with a series of wayward forehands.
A fired-up Medina Garrigues set up her second break back of the set with a running drive backhand down the line before a deflated Kuznetsova patted the next ball into the net.
In a match played with great sportsmanship, Kuznetsova over-ruled a line judge to give her opponent a point with the set poised delicately at 5-5. Medina Garrigues went on to break the former U.S. Open champion before holding her own serve to take the first set.
BACK HOME
Kuznetsova raised her game in the second set and in the eighth game seized on Medina Garrigues's short second serve to break for a 5-3 before slamming down two aces in the next to wrap up the set.
Medina Garrigues cancelled out an early break from Kuznetsova in the third set but failed to keep the pressure going and the Russian's greater poise on the big points proved decisive.
Kuznetsova said after the match she was leaving the Sanchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona, where she has trained for over a decade, to return to Russia.
"I miss my country and I think I need to do a few things differently to change my game. I love Spain but I think it's time to change, this is what my soul is asking me to do," she said.
In the final rubber, Russian pair Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova beat Carla Suarez and Nuria Llagostera 6-2 6-1 in just over an hour
On Saturday Kuznetsova beat Carla Suarez Navarro 6-3 6-1 and Vera Zvonareva beat Medina Garrigues 6-3 6-4.
(Editing by Clare Lovell) Sun Sep 14, 2008 4:24pm BST
By Ben Harding
MADRID, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Russia lifted the Fed Cup for the fourth time in five seasons on Sunday after Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Spanish number one Anabel Medina Garrigues and their doubles pair completed a whitewash.
The world number seven's 5-7 6-3 6-4 victory in two hours and 39 minutes gave Russia an unassailable 3-0 lead that was achieved despite the absence of the country's top three players and underlined Russia's dominance of the women's game.
The victory for Kuznetsova, who had not won a tournament all year, was no easy matter, however. Medina Garrigues fought bravely with the noisy backing of the near full 4,000-seater stadium, before finally running out of steam in the last set.
"Today it was important for me," said the 23-year-old from St Petersburg. "I felt very nervous, I had so many ups and downs but still, bringing the win for my team, it's amazing".
As on Saturday, Medina Garrigues, ranked 29, in the world was slow out of the blocks, meekly conceding her first two service games in the face of her opponent's powerful groundstrokes.
Kuznetsova seemed to be cruising but in the fifth game, the 26-year-old Spaniard somehow produced a fizzing crosscourt backhand off a Kuznetsova smash to set up a break and then hold her own serve in the following game.
The first set swung decisively the way of the Spanish Olympic doubles silver medallist in the ninth when Kuznetsova squandered four set points with a series of wayward forehands.
A fired-up Medina Garrigues set up her second break back of the set with a running drive backhand down the line before a deflated Kuznetsova patted the next ball into the net.
In a match played with great sportsmanship, Kuznetsova over-ruled a line judge to give her opponent a point with the set poised delicately at 5-5. Medina Garrigues went on to break the former U.S. Open champion before holding her own serve to take the first set.
BACK HOME
Kuznetsova raised her game in the second set and in the eighth game seized on Medina Garrigues's short second serve to break for a 5-3 before slamming down two aces in the next to wrap up the set.
Medina Garrigues cancelled out an early break from Kuznetsova in the third set but failed to keep the pressure going and the Russian's greater poise on the big points proved decisive.
Kuznetsova said after the match she was leaving the Sanchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona, where she has trained for over a decade, to return to Russia.
"I miss my country and I think I need to do a few things differently to change my game. I love Spain but I think it's time to change, this is what my soul is asking me to do," she said.
In the final rubber, Russian pair Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova beat Carla Suarez and Nuria Llagostera 6-2 6-1 in just over an hour
On Saturday Kuznetsova beat Carla Suarez Navarro 6-3 6-1 and Vera Zvonareva beat Medina Garrigues 6-3 6-4.
(Editing by Clare Lovell)
|
|