WTA Sept 17-18 Fed Cup World Group I Final Russia 3 d France 2 Live Scores & stats brackets & results news Fed Cup photo archives     Practice at Roland Garros     Final Draw     Final Day 1     Final Day 2 Yahoo! news photos: France - US mp3 audio: interview archive Fed Cup Radio Player France weather radar - Paris forecast

Other Fed Cup pages: 2004 - 2003 previous other tourney pages next Roland Garros: #8 Elena Dementieva 5' 11", 141 lbs, RH, 2H-BH Roland Garros: #13 Anastasia Myskina 5' 8½", 132½ lbs, RH, 2H-BH

    On Sunday in the closing matches of the 2005 Fed Cup final, on Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros, 23-year-old # 8 Elena Dementieva from Moscow led Russia to victory by winning at both singles and doubles. In Sunday's first match, the 3rd "rubber" of this final Fed Cup "tie", Elena defeated 26-year-old # 4 Amelie Mauresmo of France (residence: Geneva, Switzerland), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 (Elena is shown after match point). Russia and France had been tied 1-1 after Saturday's matches; this win put Russia ahead 2-1.
    Elena said: "I was tired in that third set, but getting 3-0 up gave me the confidence that I could win the match. I think it was one of the best matches I've played this year." match report - scorecard, .pdf

    France evened the score again with the 4th match. # 6 Mary Pierce of France (born: Montreal, Canada; residence: Bradenton, Florida), defeated 24-year-old # 13 Anastasia Myskina from Moscow, Russia, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, tying the overall score at 2-2 (Anastasia, who led Russia to win the Fed Cup in 2004, and who won both her matches, including a victory over Venus Williams, in the Fed Cup semifinals in July, allowing Russia to reach the final, is shown during the match). match report - scorecard, .pdf

    Both teams changed their doubles lineups for the final match. French Captain Georges Goven went with his top two players, Mauresmo and Pierce, while Russian Captain Shamil Tarpischev, knowing that Anastasia Myskina was not playing her best (and was very upset about it), chose to play Elena Dementieva and her fellow Muskovite, 19-year-old Dinara Safina. This was a risky selection: Elena and Dinara had never played a doubles match together before at any level.
    Darkness was descending at Roland Garros as the doubles match was played, and it seemed that it might have to be carried over to Monday. Elena and Dinara prevailed in a close 1st set, but crumbled in the 2nd, unable to hold serve once. The quick 2nd set left time to finish before it was too dark to play. In the 3rd set the Russians regained their composure, winning 30 of the 51 points played, and converting all three of their break point opportunities. Elena and Dinara defeated Amelie and Mary 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, giving Russia the Fed Cup for the 2nd straight year. - scorecard, .pdf

    Elena said: "It's my third Fed Cup Final, but the first time that I have won, so I am really happy... I am not the heroine, the team won, not any individual. Although Anastasia lost today, if she hadn't beaten Venus Williams in the semifinal, we may not have been here." match report
    Mary said: "We played some high-level tennis... It's just a pity that we didn't win."

    Although she did not play on Sunday, 18-year-old Vera Douchevina helped win 2 doubles matches for Russia (both with Dinara Safina) on the road winning the 2005 Fed Cup. And 22-year-old Elena Bovina, who has not played since May due to a right shoulder injury, won a singles match during the 1st round this year, when Anastasia Myskina was unable to play.

MP3 AUDIO: download, or listen on Fed Cup Radio Player Sept 18: post final interviews Elena Dementieva - Mary Pierce Sept 18: post match interview Elena Dementieva d Amelie Mauresmo Sept 17: post match interviews Elena Dementieva d Mary Pierce Amelie Mauresmo d Anastasia Myskina Sept 16: post draw interviews Elena Dementieva - Anastasia Myskina Amelie Mauresmo - Mary Pierce Sept 15: Anastasia Myskina Sept 14: Elena Dementieva & Mary Pierce Sept 6: Anastasia Myskina on the 2004 final, & ready for 2005 Sept 1: Elena Dementieva can't wait for the Fed Cup Final Aug 25: Amelie Mauresmo looks ahead to the Fed Cup Final

Vera, Anastasia, Dinara, & Elena with the hardware

    88 nations are competing in Fed Cup play at 3 levels. 2005 is the first year that the Fed Cup is using a a 3-tiered system similar to the Davis Cup system. 8 teams compete at the top level, called World Group I, and 8 more teams at the 2nd level, called World Group II. The remaining 72 teams are placed in Zonal Groups I, II, and III. Only the 8 teams in World Group I are competing to win the Fed Cup in any given year; the teams in the lower 2 levels are competing to move up into World Group I.
    The 4 1st round (quarterfinal) winners in World Group I each year will remain in World Group I the following year. From this year on the 4 1st round losers in World Group I will play off against the 4 winners from World Group II to determine the other 4 entries in World Group I for the following year; the 4 losers of these playoffs are in World Group II the following year. Similarly, the 4 losers from World Group II each year will playoff against 4 Zonal Group winners to determine the other 4 members of World Group II the following year.
    All these playoffs are held at the same time as the World Group I semifinals, which were July 9-10 this year (the weekend following Wimbledon).
    So, essentially the teams play their 1st "tie" to try to advance, and if they lose, they play a 2nd "tie" which they must win to avoid being demoted. full explanation of new structure

    2005 World Group I round 1 winners Russia, USA, France, & Spain, by reaching the 2005 semifinals, qualified to be included in World Group I for 2006. Italy, Belgium, Austria, & Germany won their WGI playoffs on July 9-10, and will also play in World Group I in 2006.

    Fed Cup World Group II in 2006 (the teams playing for a chance to get into World Group I in 2007) will consist of Switzerland, Argentina, Czech Republic, Croatia, Japan, China, Thailand, and Indonesia.

    The remaining 72 Fed Cup teams will play in "Zonal Groups" in 2006. Zonal Group teams are playing for a chance to get into World Group II in 2007, so they might get into World Group I, and actually compete for the cup, in 2008.

    (Mar 20, 2006) Shamil Tarpischev's Russian squad defending their Fed Cup title in the 1st round against Belgium (April 22-23 in Liege) will consist of # 7 Nadia Petrova, # 8 Elena Dementieva, # 20 Dinara Safina, and # 22 Maria Kirilenko, on the team for the first time.
    Although the Belgian team has not yet been named, Reuters reports that # 2 Kim Clijsters and # 3 Justine Henin-Hardenne are expected to play. In the fall of 2005, Justine said she would not play, due to persistant injury problems, and Kim said she would not play if Justine did not. Justine later said she might play if she were healthy. Justine has been having some knee trouble recently, but feels her knee will fare better on clay courts.

    (Mar 8, 2006) At the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, Anastasia Myskina and Maria Sharapova have both announced that they will not be on the Russian Fed Cup team when it opens its title defense against Belgium in April. Anastasia was a leader on the teams that won the cup the past two seasons; Maria has not yet played Fed Cup, but has said she would like to some day.
    The opening Fed Cup "ties" will follow the 2-week mini-major tourneys at Indian Wells and Miami. Maria said: "My body is just not ready after two tough tournaments to go and play Fed Cup. It's my own personal decision, and I'm not going to be influenced by what anyone else does. I won't be forced into it. My body just isn't ready to go from hard courts to clay courts that quickly."
    Anastasia had previously indicated that she would pass up Fed Cup play this year. Anastasia said: "It's too much for me. This year I want to play for myself. I've played every time they asked me to play again, but it's been too much now."

    (Oct 31, 2005) # 6 Justine Henin-Hardenne stated that, if she is healthy, she might change her mind and decide to participate in the 2006 Fed Cup.

    (Oct 4, 2005-revised Oct 5) Former WTA # 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne has announced that she will not play Fed Cup for Belgium in 2006. Justine said: "This year has been hard enough as regards my health and I want first of all to see if I can last a whole season... I want to regain the number one ranking in 2006. I don't think it is impossible." Justine's compatriot Kim Clijsters reportedly has stated that she would not play Fed Cup next year if Justine did not. About Kim's announcement that she would retire at age 24, Justine said: "I can understand why Kim has chosen to only play for two more years, but that is not in my character. I will try to carry on for as long as possible." Reuters story
    Anastasia Myskina, who led Russia to their first Fed Cup win in 2004, and was an important team member in their 2005 victory, might not play Fed Cup next year. On Tuesday, Oct 4, according to Reuters, Anastasia said: "I want to step aside now and let others have the chance." Reuters story
    On Wednesday, Oct 5, Russian Tennis Federation president and Fed Cup Captain Shamil Tarpischev said: "Myskina has done it all for Russia, therefore she has earned the right to say no. But I don't think it's proper to say that she quit the team for good. Myskina is the ultimate team player and if we ever needed her to play, I'm sure she would say yes." Reuters story
    Also on Wednesday, Anastasia clarified her postion, saying she would play if needed. Anastasia said: "I think it came out wrong in translation. I'm just stepping back for a while. It doesn't mean I will never play again. But it would be good to give other players a chance - like Dinara [Safina], who played superbly against me today." AFP story
    Unfortunately, some press stories are again claiming that Anastasia has has a "bitter public squabble" with her compatriot # 1 Maria Sharapova, and doesn't want to play Fed Cup if Maria plays. In fact there has been no feud between Anastasia and Maria at all, although Anastasia (as do some others) finds Maria's father Yuri Sharapov's demeanor at matches disconcerting, and has said she would not want to play if Yuri is in the stands.

    (Sep 28, 2005) 2005 Captain Zina Garrison will again lead the US Fed Cup team in 2006. The US will face Germany in the Fed Cup WG I 1st round (QFs) on April 22-23; the venue has not yet been decided.


    Fed Cup "ties" consist of 5 matches, 4 singles and 1 doubles. Each country's # 1 singles player plays the other country's # 2 singles player the first day (the order of play decided by lot), and on the 2nd day they swap and the # 1s play each other, followed by the # 2s, followed by the doubles match. The teams are run by non-playing "captains" who are usually highly-regarded coaches and/or former players. The 3rd and 4th players on each team, at the captain's discretion, might not play at all, or might play doubles, or might substitute for an injured or struggling # 1 or # 2 player.

    Fed Cup rules state that player changes for the day's opening singles match must be made by the captains with the referee one hour prior to the start of play. Player changes for the second match of the day must be made by ten minutes after the conclusion of the first match. On Sunday, changes in the doubles line-up can be made up to 15 minutes after the end of the second singles match.

Roland Garros, Boulogne-Billancourt, France:     The stadiums are, from left to right, Suzanne Lenglen, Phillipe Chartrier, and Court No. 1.     The time in Paris is UCT (GMT, Zulu, Greenwich...) plus 2 hours. That is Eastern Daylight Time in the US + 6 hours, PDT+9 hours. interactive satellite photo of Roland Garros & the Paris area venue map - Court Phillipe Chartier panorama

WTA SCOREBOARD: Fed Cup World Group I Final s=seed, #=rank, *=upset, LL=lucky loser ranks are for the previous week

Russia 3 d France 2 details Roland Garros, Paris, FRA outoor: red clay Saturday, Sep 17, 2005 1200 GMT: 1 *#8 Elena Dementieva RUS d #6 Mary Pierce FRA 7-6(1), 2-6, 6-1    career matches Elena leads 3-1 Elena and Mary's forehands, and Elena after match point     Elena was very pleased with the win; just over a week ago Mary had defeated Elena 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in their semifinal at the US Open. match report - scorecard, .pdf     Elena said: "[Mary] played well in the first two sets. I just continued to play the same game in the third set and remained aggressive. The plan was to run Pierce all over the court as we thought that I was the stronger player physically." mp3 audio interview     Mary said: "She played solidly, while I was more up and down. I made too many errors. I tried my best and gave it my all." mp3 audio interview 2 #4 Amélie Mauresmo FRA d #13 Anastasia Myskina RUS 6-4, 6-2    career matches Amelie leads 7-1 Amelie fielding a low backhand, Anastasia's forehand, and Amelie after winning a point     Both players had trouble holding serve in the 1st set, and the match was nearly even until the lengthy 5th game of the 2nd set. At 2-2, with Amelie serving, Anastasia held numerous break points but could not convert (she converted 3 of 10 break points in the match). Amelie then won 4 straight games to finish the set. match report - scorecard, .pdf     Amelie said: "I knew that if I could impose my game on [Anastasia], I could make it difficult for her... She gave me a lot of points and made lots of mistakes." mp3 audio interview     Anastasia said: "I played terribly today. I just have to see how I wake up tomorrow." mp3 audio interview Sunday, Sep 18, 2005 1000 GMT: 3 *#8 Elena Dementieva RUS d #4 Amélie Mauresmo FRA 6-4, 4-6, 6-2    career matches Amelie leads 5-4 Elena's forehand, Amelie protesting a line call to Chair Umpire Andreas Egli (the line judges were French, the ump an ITF-provided neutral) and Elena's backhand 4 #6 Mary Pierce FRA d #13 Anastasia Myskina RUS 4-6, 6-4, 6-2    career matches Anastasia leads 4-2 Mary's backhand, Anastasia after losing a point, and Mary after match point 5 Elena Dementieva & d24 Dinara Safina RUS d    d61 Amélie Mauresmo & d118 Mary Pierce 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 Anastasia cheering, Dinara listening between points while Elena tells stories about what it was like being coached by Dinara's mom at Spartak Academy, and Elena & Dinara after match point Russia: #8 d18 Elena Dementieva #13 d25 Anastasia Myskina #22 d24 Dinara Safina #35 d106 Vera Douchevina Captain: Shamil Tarpischev France: #4 d61 Amélie Mauresmo #6 d118 Mary Pierce #15 d59 Nathalie Dechy #24 d146 Tatiana Golovin Captain: Georges Goven Cap'n Tarpischev, Dinara, Anastasia, Vera, and Elena Nathalie, Tatiana, Cap'n Goven, Alternate Virginie Razzano, Mary, and Amelie Anastasia Myskina & Elena Dementieva while practicing at Roland Garros on Thursday Elena & Anastasia meeting the press on Thursday, and Mary Pierce & Elena posing with the hardware after Friday's draw

WTA July 9-10: Fed Cup World Group I Semifinals Live Scores USA 1 at Russia 4 Spain 1 at France 3 World Group I Playoffs Live Scores Austria 4 at Switzerland 1 Argentina 2 at Belgium 3 Germany 4 at Croatia 1 Italy 3 at Czech Republic 2 World Group II Playoffs Indonesia 4 at Puerto Rico 1 Bulgaria 1 at Japan 4 Slovak Republic 1 at Thailand 4 Slovenia 1 at China 4 brackets & results - news photos: Fed Cup - Yahoo! UK - US mp3 audio: interviews world weather radar links

Aix en Provence: #3 Amelie Mauresmo 5' 9", 152 lbs RH, 1H-BH Moscow: #10 Anastasia Myskina 5' 8½", 130½ lbs RH, 2H-BH Prior Fed Cup pages: 2004 - 2003

    On Sunday in Aix en Provence, France, the concluding day of the Fed Cup semifinal between France and Spain, France clinched the win in the first match of the day, the third "rubber" of the "tie." 26-years-old-last-Tuesday # 3 Amelie Mauresmo (born in France, lives in Switzerland) defeated 25-year-old Nuria Llagostera Vives from Barcelona, Spain, 6-3, 6-1 (Amelie is shown after match point).
    With France leading 3-0, the remaining two matches became academic; 22-year-old Anabel Medina Garrigues from Valencia, Spain, put Spain on the scoreboard by defeating Aix-en-Provence resident Severine Beltrame 6-4, 6-4, and the doubles match was stopped by rain (clinched Fed Cup "ties" are left unfinished in this situation, since the ladies have places to go and things to do). The final: France 3, Spain 1.

    Amelie said: "I had a little let down when I was up 3-0, but I was able to come back strong afterwards. I'm really satisfied, as I played at a higher level as yesterday. Winning the decisive point for my country feels great." story

    Meanwhile in Moscow's Olympic Center arena, in the 3rd "rubber" of the Fed Cup semifinal between the US and Russia, the 2005 Wimbledon champ, 25-year-old # 8 Venus Williams from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA, rebounded from her loss on Saturday and got the US a point by defeating Moscow native & resident 23-year-old # 5 Elena Dementieva 6-1, 6-2. This made the score Russia 2, USA 1, with 2 matches to be played.
    Then the local hero shut the door of her building in the American's faces. Elena's friend and fellow Muskovite, 24-years-old-last-Friday, 2004 French Open champ # 10 Anastasia Myskina defeated 31-years-old-last-Monday # 60 Jill Craybas East Greenwich, Rhode Island, 6-2, 6-4, clinching the win for Russia, 3-1. (Anastasia is also shown after match point). Anastasia, 18-4 for her career in Fed Cup singles, has now won 9 Fed Cup singles matches in a row.
    Dinara Safina & Vera Douchevina stepped up for Russia and finished the semi in style, defeating Venus Williams & Corina Morariu in the doubles "rubber" 6-1, 7-5. The final score: Russkis 4, Amerikanskis 1.

    Anastasia said: "I played really well, except for a couple of games in the second set. I was feeling a little pain in my leg, but it was OK. It's a great feeling to be back in the final again. I love playing in front of this crowd." story
    Anastasia said earlier in the week that she "loves this building," in which she won the 2003 and 2004 Kremlin Cup, and playing in Moscow, where she has won more Fed Cup matches than you can shake your Head Flexpoint Instinct at. 9 of Anastasia's 17 career Fed Cup singles victories have taken place in her home town.

    Russia will play at France in the 2005 Fed Cup final on September 17 & 18, the weekend following the US Open. The matches will be played at Roland Garros on Court Philippe Chatrier, the French Open "center court." About the venue for the final, Anastasia said: "There'll be a lot of pressure on the French girls, so I like that."

Fed Cup Semifinals & World Group I Play-offs Scorecards & Statistics MP3 AUDIO: "Fed Cup Radio" summaries: July 10 - July 9 July 10 post-match interviews: Amelie Mauresmo - Kim Clijsters - Els Callens July 9 post-match interviews: Anastasia Myskina - Venus Williams - Elena Dementieva Amelie Mauresmo - French Cap'n Georges Goven July 8 post-draw interviews: Anastasia Myskina - Venus Williams - Elena Dementieva - Mashona Washington July 5: Anastasia Myskina eager to play the USA

WTA SCOREBOARD: Fed Cup World Group I Semifinals: s=seed, #=rank, *=upset, LL=lucky loser ranks are for the previous week

United States 1 at Russia 4 details Olympic Center, Moscow, RUS indoor: red clay - tie photo galleries: Sat - Sun Saturday, Jul 9, 2005 1100 GMT: 1 *#10 Anastasia Myskina RUS d #8 Venus Williams USA 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 Anastasia serving, Venus returning, and Anastasia after match point     Anastasia said she did not play well in the first set because she was nervous. Anastasia said: "I was really focused today, I really wanted to win because we were at home... Venus didn't really play her best, not the way she played at Wimbledon, and I understood because emotionally she was very empty today... I'm happy I brought the point for our team." story - mp3 audio interview - scorecard & stats, .pdf 2 #5 Elena Dementieva RUS d #52 Mashona Washington USA 7-5, 6-4 Before Elena had finished adjusting her hair (my, what big arms she has), Mashona had taken a 5-1 lead-- but then Elena ran off 6 straight games...     Elena fell behind Mashona 0-4, then 1-5, then won 6 straight games to take the 1st set. Elena said: "It was difficult for me because I was so happy for Anastasia. I was very happy on the court, and then I realized I was 1-5 down and I had to find my rhythm and try to turn it around." mp3 audio interview - scorecard & stats, .pdf Sunday, Jul 10, 2005 1100 GMT: 3 *#8 Venus Williams USA d #5 Elena Dementieva RUS 6-1, 6-2 Venus kept her focus on Sunday, kept Elena running, and kept the US in the semifinal 4 #10 Anastasia Myskina RUS d #60 Jill Craybas USA 6-2, 6-4 Anastasia smashing the door shut on the Americans, and after match point 5 d142 Dinara Safina & d25 Vera Douchevina RUS d d14 Corina Morariu & dNR Venus Williams USA 6-1, 7-5 Vera Douchevina & Dinara Safina United States: #8 dNR Venus Williams #52 d57 Mashona Washington #60 d73 Jill Craybas NR d14 Corina Morariu Captain: Zina Garrison Russia: #5 d23 Elena Dementieva #10 d24 Anastasia Myskina #27 d25 Dinara Safina #31 d142 Vera Douchevina Captain: Shamil Tarpischev Spain 1 at France 3 details Country Club Aix en Provence, Aix en Provence, France outdoor: hard (greenset) - tie photo galleries: Sat - Sun Saturday, Jul 9, 2005 1000 GMT: 1 #3 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #33 A Medina Garrigues ESP 6-4, 6-3 Amelie's flying forehand Mauresmo postmatch MP3 audio interview     Amelie said: "Although I have been practicing here since Tuesday, it took me some time to get comfortable on the surface. And the wind didn't make it easy. [Anabel] played well. But I'm happy to have set the tone for the tie." story - mp3 audio interview - scorecard & stats, .pdf 2 #13 Mary Pierce FRA d #39 Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP 6-4, 6-4 Mary after match point     Mary said: "I knew it was going to be tough, and it was. But I'm happy with the way I played." scorecard & stats, .pdf Sunday, Jul 10, 2005 0900 GMT: 3 #3 Amelie Mauresmo FRA d #39 Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP 6-3, 6-1 Amelie after match point, and being congratulated by teammate Mary Pierce 4 #33 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP d #101 Severine Beltrame 6-4, 6-4 5 d52 Amelie Mauresmo & d92 Mary Pierce FRA v d19    Anabel Medina Garrigues & d289 Maria Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo ESP 1-2 rain France: #3 d52 Amélie Mauresmo #13 d92 Mary Pierce #18 d83 Nathalie Dechy #101 d251 Severine Beltrame Captain: Georges Goven Spain: #33 d19 Anabel Medina Garrigues #39 d67 Nuria Llagostera Vives #93 d222 Arantxa Parra Santonja #107 d289 Maria Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo Captain: Miguel Margets

Fed Cup World Group I Playoffs: winners in 2006 World Group I, losers in 2006 World Group II Austria 4 at Switzerland 1 details Lausanne, Switzerland outdoor: red clay - tie photo galleries: Sat - Sun 1 #135 Yvonne Meusburger AUT d #1024 Stefanie Vogele SUI 7-6(4), 6-1 15-year-old Stefanie serving, Yvonne's backhand     Yvonne said: "It was my first match in three weeks and, especially in the first set, I made way too many mistakes." story 2 *NR Tamira Paszek AUT d #280 Timea Bacsinszky SUI 6-3, 6-3 14-year-old Tamira, after match point against 16-year-old Timea     Timea was impressed with the quality of Tamira's game. Timea said: "I don't think I have lost the match, I think [Tamira] won it." Sunday, Jul 10, 2005 1100 GMT: 3 *#280 Timea Bacsinszky SUI d #135 Yvonne Meusburger AUT 6-3, 6-4 Timea scoring Switzerland's only point     Timea said: "I had much more self-confidence today. Yesterday, it was my first match since Roland Garros and that wasn't easy, especially as Tamira had a lot of confidence after her Wimbledon [juniors] run." story 4 NR Tamira Paszek AUT d NR Myriam Casanova SUI 6-1, 6-3 Tamira looks good off both wings     14-year-old 2005 Wimbledon juniors finalist Tamira was born in Tasmania, and grew up in Kenya (her father is African), Canada, and Austria (her mother is Austrian). Despite her success, she has no plans to leave school early for the WTA Tour. Tamira said: "I am very happy that I could win two matches and that we will play among the top nations next year... I am still on the bottom rung of the ladder. There is so much left for me to do... I want to go step by step." interview 5 d107 Sandra Klemenschits & d108 Daniela Klemenschits AUT d    d531 Gaelle Widmer & dNR Stefanie Vogele SUI 6-0, 6-2 Austria: #135 d362 Yvonne Meusburger #568 d107 Sandra Klemenschits #812 d108 Daniela Klemenschits NR dNR Tamira Paszek Captain: Alfred Tesar Switzerland: #280 d388 Timea Bacsinszky #341 d531 Gaelle Widmer #1024 dNR Stefanie Vogele NR dNR Myriam Casanova Captain: Severin Luthi Argentina 2 at Belgium 3 details Bree, Belgium indoor: hard - tie photo galleries: Sat - Sun 1 #14 Kim Clijsters BEL d #71 Mariana Diaz-Oliva ARG 6-1, 6-2 Kim's backhand     Kim said: "I am very happy with my performance. I played a good game and everything went to plan... I though [Mariana] moved well and rallied well. She has a strong forehand which put me under pressure." story 2 #30 Gisela Dulko ARG d #166 Els Callens BEL 6-1, 6-3 Gisela lines up a forehand Sunday, Jul 10, 2005 1100 GMT: 3 #14 Kim Clijsters BEL d #30 Gisela Dulko ARG 6-4, 6-1 Babolat battle: Gisela serving with Pure Control, Kim teeing off with her Pure Drive 4 #71 Mariana Diaz-Oliva ARG d #176 Kirsten Flipkens BEL 6-2, 6-2 Mariana after keeping the gauchas in the tie 5 d64 Els Callens & dNR Kim Clijsters BEL d d46 Gisela Dulko & d383 Mariana Diaz-Oliva ARG 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 Els, who is said to be retiring this year, pointed out her favorite tennis player after the match Argentina: #30 d46 Gisela Dulko #71 d383 Mariana Diaz-Oliva #254 d551 Maria Vanina Garcia Sokol Captain: Ricardo Rivera Belgium: #14 dNR Kim Clijsters #166 d64 Els Callens #176 dNR Kirsten Flipkens #472 d354 Eveline Vanhyfte Captain: Carl Maes Germany 4 at Croatia 1 details Bol, Croatia outdoor: red clay - tie photo galleries: Sat - Sun 1 #62 Karolina Sprem CRO d #91 Julia Schruff GER 6-3, 6-4 Karolina Sprem 2 #36 Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER d #63 Jelena Kostanic CRO 6-1, 7-6(5) Anna-Lena Groenefeld     Anna-Lena said: "First set I felt real good. Jelena improved in the second, got better, but all in all it was a good match for me." story     Jelena said: "With the tennis [Anna-Lena] played in first set she can beat anybody... [In the 2nd set] I started to move better, that was the key. Pity I did not take my chances when they arrived, I was close to taking it into a third set." Sunday, Jul 10, 2005 1100 GMT: 3 #36 Anna-Lena Groenefeld GER d #62 Karolina Sprem CRO 6-3, 6(5)-7, 6-2 Anna-Lena's Arizona backhand     Anna-Lena led 3-0 in the 2nd set, but Karolina then won 5 straight games to get back in the match. Anna-Lena said: "I made some changes for the third set, played more aggressive like in the first set. Also I made [Karolina] play one ball more in each point and that was the key... That's the way I like to play. Aggressive. Once you take a small step back it can become difficult." story     Karolina lost despite performing better than she had on Saturday. Karolina said: "I played better, I felt the ball better, I did everything better. First set and a half Ann-Lena was dictating, at the end it was a matter of few points. My chance? First game of the third set. I had 0-30 and a few chances. Did not go my way." 4 *#117 Sandra Kloesel GER d #63 Jelena Kostanic CRO 6-2, 6-4 Sandra after winning a point 5 d18 Anna-Lena Groenefeld & d116 Julia Schruff GER d    #87 dNR Sanda Mamic & #191 d504 Nika Ozegovic CRO Germany: #36 d18 Anna-Lena Groenefeld #91 d116 Julia Schruff #117 d150 Sandra Kloesel #257 d418 Angelique Kerber Captain: Barbara Rittner Croatia: #62 dNR Karolina Sprem #63 d56 Jelena Kostanic #87 dNR Sanda Mamic #191 d504 Nika Ozegovic Captain: Goran Prpic Italy 3 at Czech Republic 2 details Liberec, Czech Republic indoor: carpet - tie photo galleries: Sat - Sun 1 #23 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #41 Kveta Peschke CZE 6-4, 7-5 Francesca fielding a forehand     Francesca said: "It was an exciting match, because [Kveta] fought from the start until the end. Maybe she was tense at the start and couldn't play too well, but I played good tennis, good tactics and kept fighting." story     It was Kveta's 30th birthday, but Francesca got the present. Kveta said: "It surprised me how offensively [Francesca] played, and her serve was a surprise too." 2 #28 Nicole Vaidisova CZE d #58 Roberta Vinci ITA 6-3, 6-4 Nicole demonstrated netsercise before practicing on Friday; during the match on Saturday she displayed her Yonex levitation skills     16-year-old Nicole said: "I was quite satisfied with my game. I served well and controlled the match from the beginning."     Nicole won 43% of her receiving points, while Roberta won only 29% of the points while Nicole was serving. Roberta said: "The surface was too fast for me and [Nicole] served so well it was difficult to play my tennis. It was just ace, ace, ace on first serve." Sunday, Jul 10, 2005 1100 GMT: 3 *#28 Nicole Vaidisova CZE d #23 Francesca Schiavone ITA 6-2, 7-5     Nicole said: "The fast surface was an advantage for me, because [Francesca] could not reach balls that she would normally get back on clay, and it helps my serve as well." story 4 #24 Flavia Pennetta ITA d #41 Kveta Peschke CZE 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 Flavia, shown after match point, recovered from stomach illness on Saturday to record a vital win on Sunday 5 d81 Francesca Schiavone & d134 Roberta Vinci ITA d    d358 Nicole Vaidisova & d33 Kveta Peschke CZE 6-4, 6-4 Francesca displaying her usual calm demeanor after winning a point, and Roberta, Francesca, & Cap'n Barazzutti after the victory Italy: #23 d81 Francesca Schiavone #24 d79 Flavia Pennetta #58 d134 Roberta Vinci #69 d62 Antonella Serra Zanetti Captain: Corrado Barazzutti Czech Republic: #28 d358 Nicole Vaidisova #40 d528 Klara Koukalova #41 d33 Kveta Peschke #55 d29 Iveta Benesova Captain: Tomas Petera

Fed Cup World Group II Playoffs: winners in 2006 World Group II, losers in 2006 Zonal Groups Indonesia 4 at Puerto Rico 1 details Salinas, Puerto Rico, outdoor: hard Indonesia: #388 d375 Wynne Prakusya #477 d389 Ayu-Fani Damayanti #501 d375 Romana Tedjakusuma NR dNR Suzanna Anggarkusuma Captain: Suzanna Anggarkusuma Puerto Rico: #68 d425 Kristina Brandi #160 d380 Vilmarie Castellvi #978 dNR Jessica Roland NR dNR Bianca Gorbea Captain: Juan Carlos Escudero Bulgaria 1 at Japan 4 details Tokyo, Japan, indoor: hard Bulgaria: #37 d82 Magdalena Maleeva #48 dNR Sesil Karatantcheva #127 dNR Tzvetana Pironkova #535 d527 Maria Penkova Captain: Magdalena Maleeva Japan: #72 d306 Akiko Morigami #83 d306 Aiko Nakamura #98 d84 Rika Fujiwara #162 d185 Saori Obata Captain: Minoru Ueda Slovak Republic 1 at Thailand 4 details Bangkok, Thailand, outdoor: hard Slovak Republic: #152 d105 Lubomira Kurhajcova #165 d156 Henrieta Nagyova #584 dNR Magdalena Rybarikova #829 dNR Dominika Cibulkova Captain: Marian Vajda Thailand: #82 d31 Tamarine Tanasugarn #243 d694 Suchanun Viratprasert #288 d390 Montinee Tangphong #290 d277 Napaporn Tongsalee Captain: Vittaya Samrej Slovenia 1 at China 4 details Beijing, China, indoor: hard Slovenia: #59 d30 Katarina Srebotnik #289 d172 Tina Pisnik #380 d382 Andreja Klepac NR d53 Tina Krizan Captain: Mima Jausovec China: #42 d255 Na Li #75 d49 Jie Zheng #155 d44 Ting Li #203 d43 Tian-Tian Sun Captain: Hong-Wei Jiang

    (Jul 6, 2005) # 1 Lindsay Davenport has withdrawn from the Fed Cup semifinals, July 9-10, when Russia hosts the US at Moscow. Lindsay is unable to play because a low back injury, which she incurred during the 3rd set of the Wimbledon final on July 2, is not healing quickly enough. Lindsay's spot on the team has been filled by # 60 Jill Craybas.
    # 4 Serena Williams, who was upset by Jill in the 3rd round at Wimbledon, and has a slight fracture of the left ankle that has not yet completely healed, also will not play. 29-year-old # 58 Mashona Washington from Houston, Texas, has taken Serena's place on the US team.
    Mashona, and the Wimbledon champ, # 8 Venus Williams, will play singles for the US, and doubles specialist Corina Morariu will play the doubles match partnered with Venus (unless the semifinal has already been clinched by either team).
    The Russian team consists of # 6 Elena Dementieva, # 10 Anastasia Myskina, # 33 Dinara Safina, and # 54 Vera Douchevina.
    Anastasia had been unsure whether she would be on the roster, because she would like to rest her chronic right shoulder injury (she also has a bit of a left leg sprain). After winning her 3rd round match at Wimbledon, Anastasia said: "The captain invited me for the team, and I'm really happy with that. For sure I'm going be there, even though I'm maybe not going to play. But I'm going to support my team for sure."
    Now, with Svetlana Kuznetsova (shoulder) and Nadia Petrova (leg) recovering from injuries of their own, Anastasia will play.

    USA and Russia will play indoors on a temporary clay court in Moscow’s Olympic Stadium, while Spain and France will play the other semifinal on a temporary hard court on the site of the Country Club d’Aix-en Provence.
    The Russians, who are hosting Davis Cup matches after Fed Cup weekend, chose clay because they thought it would advantage their men. Both the Russian and US women players feel at home on hard courts.

    (Jul 6, 2005) # 38 Virginie Razzano has withdrawn from the French team for their Fed Cup SF against Spain due to an ankle injury. She has been replaced by # 101 Severine Beltrame.

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WTA Apr 23-24: Fed Cup World Group Round 1 (QFs) Live Scores: World Group I Live Scores: World Group II brackets & results Fed Cup photo galleries Yahoo! "Fed Cup" news photo search mp3 audio interviews news Fed Cup history Russia 4 at Italy 1 Belgium 0 at USA 4 Argentina 2 at Spain 3 France 4 at Austria 1 2004 Fed Cup page

Brindisi, Italy: #14 Elena Bovina 6' 2½", 159 lbs RH, 2H-BH Portschach, Austria: #15 Nathalie Dechy & #35 Virginie Razzano

    On Sunday in Brindisi, Italy, 2004 Fed Cup champions Russia advanced to the 2005 semifinals. 22-year-old # 14 Elena Bovina from Moscow clinched the quarterfinal "tie" for Russia by defeating 23-year-old # 61 Maria Elena Camerin from Venezia, Italy 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 (Elena is shown after match point).
    Elena stepped in to play singles after her compatriot # 37 Dinara Safina lost her match on Saturday to Francesca Schiavone, leaving the Russians and Italians tied at 1-1. On Sunday, # 5 Elena Dementieva started the day by defeating Francesca, then Elena B clinched the Russian win. Dinara and # 48 Vera Douchevina (added to the team to replace # 6 Anastasia Myskina, who has a shoulder injury) padded the score to 4-1 winning the doubles match, by then academic.
    Russia will play host to the United States in a semi on July 9 & 10, the weekend following Wimbledon. The US clinched a win over Belgium in the 1st match on Sunday, when # 1 Lindsay Davenport defeated # 174 Els Callens 6-4, 6-0, giving the US an insurmountable 3-0 lead, and the US went on to win 5-0.

    Meanwhile, in Portschach, Austria, 26-year-old # 15 Nathalie Dechy and 21-year-old # 35 Virginie Razzano (photo shown) took the full load for 2004 Fed Cup finalists France. With # 3 Amelie Mauresmo sidelined by abdominal pains, and # 27 Mary Pierce not playing, apparently also due to injury, Nathalie and Virginie played all 5 matches.
    France and Austria were tied 1-1 after Saturday's matches. On Sunday, Virginie started off with a 6-3, 7-6(2) win over # 143 Yvonne Meusberger, who had upset Nathalie on Saturday. Then Nathalie defeated the surprisingly capable unranked 14-year-old Tamira Paszek of Austria 7-6(5), 6-2, clinching the win for France. Nathalie & Virginie finished the day by winning the doubles match as well, defeating Austria's twin sisters Sandra Klemenschits & Daniella Klemenschits, 6-4, 7-5. ITF story
    France will host Spain, who defeated Argentina 3-2 ( ITF story), in the other semifinal in July.

2005 World Group II results:
Croatia 3 at Thailand 2
Japan 2 at Czech Republic 3
Indonesia 1 at Germany 4
Slovak Republic 2 at Switzerland 3

Fed Cup World Group 1 Round 1 (Quarterfinals): WTA SCOREBOARD: Fed Cup s=seed, #=rank, *=upset, LL=lucky loser ranks are for the previous week

Belgium 0 at United States 5: Delray Beach Tennis Center, FL, USA outdoor: hard (Plexipave) Saturday, Apr 23, 2005 1820 GMT: 1 #1 Lindsay Davenport USA d #392 Eveline Van Hyfte BEL 6-0, 6-2 Lindsay Davenport Davenport postmatch MP3 audio interview     Lindsay said: "Obviously, people expected me to win; it’s another thing to go out there and actually do that. So I was happy I was able to win convincingly and give us some more confidence... Hopefully, we can close it out three-zero, and enjoy the rest of the weekend." ITF story     Eveline had never faced anyone ranked higher than #180, had never before played in the US, and had never played a Fed Cup match. Eveline said: "She's serving so well. It’s very difficult to get into the game. But, of course, I was impressed of Lindsay. You have to be very good to be No. 1 in the world... In normal tournaments… I don’t get opportunities to play against players that are ranked so high. So for me this was a big opportunity to play against someone like Lindsay."     Belgian captain Carl Maes said: "Eveline brought to the table whatever she had to offer. I’m really proud of her because I think she didn’t collapse under the pressure, under the circumstances." 2 #8 Venus Williams USA d #174 Els Callens BEL 6-2, 6-2 Venus Williams     Serena Williams was originally scheduled to play, but her sprained left ankle has not yet fully healed. Venus joked: "I never asked Serena whether she was going to play or not. I was just ready. So it was really down to the wire, that last moment. Guess what, Team B was in."     Els said: "I tried to play the chip-and-charge in the beginning. It wasn’t really working... [Venus] made a little bit of mistakes, I think, in the first set from the baseline, and then in the second set she didn’t miss that much." US Captain Zina Garrison MP3 audio interview Sunday, Apr 24, 2005 1820 GMT: 3 #1 Lindsay Davenport USA d #174 Els Callens BEL 6-4, 6-0 Chris Evert tossing a coin to see if Els or Lindsay will serve first, and Lindsay's forehand Davenport postmatch MP3 audio interview Callens postmatch MP3 audio interview 4 #8 Venus Williams USA d #364 Leslie Butkiewicz BEL 6-1, 6-4 Corina Morariu & Venus Williams during the opening ceremonies on Sunday 5 d22 Corina Morariu & d35 Lindsay Davenport USA d d325 Eveline Van Hyfte & dNR Kirsten Flipkens BEL 6-1, 6-2 United States: #1 d35 Lindsay Davenport #4 dNR Serena Williams #8 dNR Venus Williams NR d22 Corina Morariu Captain: Zina Garrison Belgium: #173 dNR Kirsten Flipkens #174 d52 Els Callens #364 d322 Leslie Butkiewicz #392 d325 Eveline Van Hyfte Captain: Carl Maes

Russia 4 at Italy 1: Circolo Tennis Brindisi, Brindisi, Italy outdoor: red clay Saturday, Apr 23, 2005 1130 GMT: 1 #19 Francesca Schiavone ITA d #37 Dinara Safina RUS 7-5, 6-3 Francesca Schiavone     Francesca said: "Nothing was as easy as it might have seemed. I know that I had to keep Safina under pressure and that, if I were to win, Italy would be at least 1-1 after the first day. I wanted to do it for Italy. And I also want to say that the public here in the south of Italy is great. They really cheered me on, even though I am not from this part of Italy. And I am part of a great team, a very competitive team for Italy." ITF story     Dinara said: "When I was told yesterday that I would play, I first thought ‘Wow, Cool’ but then it began to sink in. I had many chances in the first set, but every time I had a break point [Francesca] made a great serve, not hard, but on the lines all the time. After the first set, I was a bit tired and down, but I continued to fight all the time."     Dinara's loss creates the possiblity that Elena Bovina will play in her place on Sunday. Dinara said: "There’s Bovina, of course, and she is playing well, but I hope I play. This is so different from a tournament where, when you lose, you go home. You have to change the way you are thinking." 2 #5 Elena Dementieva RUS d #66 Tathiana Garbin ITA 6-4, 6-3 Elena Dementieva     Elena said: "This match was not so simple. I made some mistakes. This is only my fourth day playing on the [red] clay and my first match on this surface this season. I was not completely ready, but tomorrow, against Schiavone, I will be." Sunday, Apr 24, 2005 0930 GMT: 3 #5 Elena Dementieva RUS d #19 Francesca Schiavone ITA 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-0 Elena Dementieva     Francesca had 4 match points in the 2nd set against Elena. Elena D said: "Francesca played very well. It certainly was one of her best matches. But the match turned after the four match points as I tried to resist her pressure. I was never really afraid of losing, especially during the match points, but she was very aggressive and very creative and kept changing her style of play, which made it difficult for me." ITF story     Francesca said: "It was a great battle and a high quality match from both me and Elena. I think the difference in the end was that she has more experience in that sort of situation than me. Then in the third set, after the adrenalin fell, I was down emotionally and physically." Reuters story 4 #14 Elena Bovina RUS d #61 Maria-Elena Camerin ITA 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 Elena launching a backhand, and after the win-clinching match point. Under certain conditions, players can take 10 minutes to shower and change clothes before the final set of a 3-set match.     Elena B said: "I was never worried about winning... in the third set, I had no doubt... There was a lot of pressure on me to win, but there would have been more if Elena [Dementieva] had not won her match. It was great, and we look forward to playing at home in front of our fans in July." 5 d23 Dinara Safina & dNR Vera Douchevina RUS d d48 Tathiana Garbin & d60 Mara Santangelo ITA 6-3, 7-5 Russia: #5 d17 Elena Dementieva #14 d69 Elena Bovina #37 d23 Dinara Safina #48 dNR Vera Douchevina Captain: Shamil Tarpischev Italy: #19 d31 Francesca Schiavone #61 d76 Maria-Elena Camerin #66 d48 Tathiana Garbin #169 d60 Mara Santangelo Captain: Corrado Barazzutti

France 4 at Austria 1: Werzer Arena, Portschach, AUT outdoor: red clay Saturday, Apr 23, 2005 1000 GMT: 1 *#143 Yvonne Meusberger AUT d #15 Nathalie Dechy FRA 7-6(3), 6-2 Yvonne Meusberger     Nathalie said: "I don't really know why I played so badly today... I know [Yvonne] is a long way below me in the rankings, but tennis isn't mathematics. She played great today with lots of confidence and I didn't play as well as I could - so it's normal that I should lose a match like that." ITF story 2 #35 Virginie Razzano FRA d NR Tamira Paszek AUT 6-3, 6-3 Tamira's forehand, Virginie's backhand     Virginie said: "I'm happy with the way I played today, because it's not as easy as people might think playing against a young, unknown player. We had also lost the first match so that's the kind of thing that can make you nervous. I just tried to concentrate on my game."     Unranked 14-year-old Tamira said: "I made a few too many mistakes out there today, but for my first Fed Cup match I thought I did ok. I was doing alright from the baseline but I wasn't serving well at all."     French captain Georges Goven said: "I'm still confident-- I have to be. Nathalie may have lost today, but I have a good team and I don't think they will play badly in the remaining matches." Sunday, Apr 24, 2005 0800 GMT: 3 #35 Virginie Razzano FRA d #143 Yvonne Meusberger AUT 6-3, 7-6(2) Virginie Razzano 4 #15 Nathalie Dechy FRA d NR Tamira Paszek AUT 7-6(5), 6-2 Nathalie Dechy     Nathalie trailed 14-year-old Tamira 2-5 in the 1st set before recovering to win. Nathalie said: "[Tamira] put up quite a fight. But that's normal when you're up against a higher-ranked player who isn't playing at her best. I just kept thinking that things could only get better if I just concentrated on my movement and my shots. I was struggling a bit, but the main thing is that I won even though I wasn't playing at my best." ITF story     Tamira said: "I was disappointed to throw away such a big lead in the first set, but overall I was really happy with the way I played today. It's been great just to be able to play at this level, and although I lost today it's given me great confidence for my next ITF tournament in May."     Austria captain Alfred Tesar said: "I think [Tamira] has a great future and could well be a top 20 player in some years. It was a great experience for Tamira, both in taking the lead against Dechy and in the way she fought back from 5-0 down in the second set." 5 d84 Nathalie Dechy & d188 Virginie Razzano FRA d d152 Sandra Klemenschits & d155 Daniella Klemenschits 6-4, 7-5 Nathalie Dechy & Virginie Razzano France: #3 dNR Amélie Mauresmo #15 d84 Nathalie Dechy #27 d79 Mary Pierce #35 d188 Virginie Razzano Captain: Georges Goven Austria: #143 d343 Yvonne Meusberger #505 d155 Sandra Klemenschits #803 d152 Daniella Klemenschits NR Tamira Paszek Captain: Alfred Tesar

Argentina 2 at Spain 3: Club Nazaret, Jerez, Spain outdoor: red clay Saturday, Apr 23, 2005 1000 GMT: 1 *#63 Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP d #38 Gisela Dulko ARG 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 Nuria Llagostera Vives     Nuria said: "I've been playing very well the past two months. I didn't know how I was going to feel, given that it was my first Fed Cup match, but I was sure I could win if I played well." ITF story     Gisela said: "I was a little nervous and couldn't find my game. I thought I didn't play well today, but tomorrow's another day." 2 #41 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP d #149 Maria-Emilia Salerni ARG 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 Anabel heading a forehand in Maria-Emilia's direction, and Maria-Emilia congratulating Anabel     Anabel had some knee trouble, but was able to finish. She will play on Sunday if able, otherwise Maria Sanchez Lorenzo or Marta Marrero will play in her place.     Maria-Emilia was down a break early in the 3rd set, then broke back to get on serve 3-4.     Maria-Emilia said: "I felt I had the match in my hands, but I started to hurry my shots."     Spanish captain Miguel Margets said: "Nothing's over yet... We have three chances to win tomorrow and it would indeed be great if we took the first opportunity."     Argentine captain Ricardo Rivera said: "We'll talk about what we did wrong today and what we need to do tomorrow. It's not easy to find the words, but I think we still have a chance." Sunday, Apr 24, 2005 0900 GMT: 3 #38 d34 Gisela Dulko ARG d #76 Marta Marrero ESP 6-0, 6-3 Gisela Dulko 4 #86 Mariana Diaz-Oliva ARG d #63 Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP 7-6(6), 6-4 Mariana Diaz-Oliva 5 d30 Anabel Medina Garrigues & d111 Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP d     d34 Gisela Dulko & d68 Maria-Emilia Salerni ARG 6-4, 6-4 Nuria & Anabel after match point     Anabel said: "I've never played doubles in competition with Nuria before. Just one set in practice. But she has a good game for doubles and adapts easily to new partners, it seems." ITF story     Gisela said: "It's more painful to lose when you're playing for your country, your captain and your teammates. They played good, returned very well, and there's not much more to say than that." Argentina: #38 d34 Gisela Dulko #86 d338 Mariana Diaz-Oliva #149 d68 Maria-Emilia Salerni #907 dNR Florencia Molinero Captain: Mr Ricardo Rivera Spain: #41 d30 Anabel Medina Garrigues #63 d111 Nuria Llagostera Vives #76 d77 Marta Marrero #92 dNR Maria Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo Captain: Miguel Margets

    (Apr 22, 2005) The draws for this weekend's Fed Cup World Group I "ties" have been made. Serena Williams is still ailing from a sprained ankle, so her sister Venus will play for the US against Belgium instead. Venus was feeling a bit ill at the draw, but said she will be OK on Saturday, and Serena says she can play if necessary. Belgian 19-year-old # 173 Kirsten Flipkens will not play due to a recurring back injury, and # 392 Eveline Van Hyfte will play singles for Belgium instead.
    Unranked 14-year old Tamira Paszek will play 2nd singles for Austria in matches against # 3 Amelie Mauresmo and # 15 Nathalie Dechy. This decision by Austrian Captain Alfred Tesar prompted an angry # 155 Sybille Bammer to withdraw from the Austrian team. Tesar said: "I think Amelie Mauresmo's playing style would not be so good for Sybille." Daniella Klemenschits, twin sister of team member Sandra Klemenschits, replaced Sybille on the Austrian squad.

    (Apr 21, 2005) Lindsay Davenport's right hip flexor muscle, strained at Charleston on Friday, April 15, is now OK. Lindsay said: "I'm feeling great and my hip is feeling fine. Practice is going really well, and I'm looking forward to Saturday. There's no problem whatsoever. I made the decision to stop before it got bad."
    Serena Williams' ankle, twisted earlier at Amelia Island, is a little iffy. Serena said: "I'm feeling a little bit better. Most of all, I'm really looking forward to playing Delray since I never played here and I live in the area. I'm going to make every effort to be in the competition".
  (updated Apr 22, 2005) # 6 Anastasia Myskina of Russia has withdrawn from this week's Fed Cup quarterfinals against Italy due to a shoulder injury. Anastasia's coach, Jens Gerlach said: "We decided it was better not to take any more risks because we have Roland Garros coming up." Anastasia led the Russian Fed Cup team to victory in 2004, winning 7 of her 8 Fed Cup singles matches during the year, and also winning the deciding doubles match against France in the final, partnered with Vera Zvonareva. #48 Vera Douchevina was named as Anastasia's replacement.
    # 18 Tatiana Golovin of France has also withdrawn, due to a back injury incurred during the Family Circle Cup. She has been replaced by # 35 Virginie Razzano.

    (Apr 5, 2005) WTA # 3 Maria Sharapova will not play for Russia in their Fed Cup quarterfinal tie against Italy on April 22-23 in Brindisi, Italy, Russian Fed Cup Captain Shamil Tarpishev announced. Tarpischev said: "I spoke to her father [in Miami] and we decided not to [put Maria on the Russian team]... It is a burden to play all the tournaments in a row... In action, the Federation Cup and the Davis Cup matches demand extra physical and psychological effort from a player. But Maria has a chance to top the world ratings, and we have to take that into account... It doesn’t mean the doors of national team have closed for Sharapova. Maria may play in the semifinals, where, if Russia beats Italy, it may face the U.S. team in its top-rank strength. Besides, Sharapova plans to play in the Kremlin Cup this year."
    17-year-old Maria did play 4 weeks in a row of high-pressure matches at Indian Wells and Miami, but will not play another tourney until Berlin, which begins a week after the Fed Cup weekend. News reports state that the media is speculating that Maria might change her nationality to USA (she has lived in the US since age 7).
    Anastasia Myskina, Elena Dementieva and Elena Bovina have already agreed to play on the Russian QF team, with the 4th member to be either Dinara Safina, Maria Kirilenko, or Anna Chakvetadze. There has been no report as to why Vera Zvonareva, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Elena Likhovtseva are not playing.
    The media has also been pressuring Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne about not playing for Belgium this spring. Obviously, the ladies should only play Fed Cup if they want to, and no one should give them any trouble if they don't.
stories: BBC - MosNews - Kommersant

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