FED Cup 2005 first round (23rd to 24th April 2005)

[PierceCheng]

Dear all members and moderators:

Today I was found the draw of this round!!

World Group I 2005 - 1st Round
Italy vs Russia 23 - 24 Apr 2005
USA vs Belgium 23 - 24 Apr 2005
Spain vs Argentina 23 - 24 Apr 2005
Austria vs France 23 - 24 Apr 2005

World Group II 2005
Switzerland vs Slovak Republic 23 - 24 Apr 2005
Germany vs Indonesia 23 - 24 Apr 2005
Thailand vs Croatia 23 - 24 Apr 2005
Czech Republic vs Japan 23 - 24 Apr 2005

So, you can post your line up in your favorite national team here!!

PierceCheng
(Location in Hong Kong)

3rd April 2005

[PierceCheng]

Now I post the dominition for France:

Starters:

• Mary Pierce ;D
  
• Nathalie Dechy
  
• Tatiana Golovin
  
• Caroline Dhenin
  
• Stephanie Cohen-Aloro
  

Substitutes:

• Camille Pin
  
• Virginie Razzano
  
• Severine Beltrame
  
• Stephanie Foretz
  
• Sandrine Testud (I'm not sure she may comeback)
  

Suspension:

• Amelie Mauresmo (Reason for takes the responsibility when she withdrawn her team for no reason)
  
• Marion Bartoli (Reason for takes the responsibility when she has lost to Anastasia Myskina & Vera Zvonareva with Emlie Loit at the doubles of the final , they have defend their title was failed, and then the team leader Guy Forget was resign his position)
  
• Emilie Loit (The same reason with Marion Bartoli)
  

What do you think?

[tall_one]

World Group I Official Nominations
The official nominations for teams taking part in World Group I ties, April 23-24, have been submitted to the ITF and are as follows:

ITALY v RUSSIA[/u]
Venue: Brindisi, Italy (clay – outdoors)

Italy
Francesca Schiavone
Flavia Pennetta
Maria-Elena Camerin
Tathiana Garbin
Captain: Mr Corrado Barazzutti

Russia
Elena Dementieva
Anastasia Myskina
Elena Bovina
Dinara Safina
Captain: Mr Shamil Tarpischev



USA v BELGIUM[/u]
Venue: Delray Beach, FL, USA (hard – outdoors)

USA
Lindsay Davenport
Serena Williams
Venus Williams
Corina Morariu
Captain: Ms Zina Garrison

Belgium
Kirsten Flipkens
Els Callens
Leslie Butkiewicz
Eveline Van Hyfte
Captain: Mr Carl Maes



SPAIN v ARGENTINA
Venue: Jerez de la Frontera, Spain (clay –outdoors)

Spain
Anabel Medina Garrigues
Nuria Llagostera Vives
Marta Marrero
Maria Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo
Captain: Miguel Margets

Argentina
Gisela Dulko
Mariana Diaz-Oliva
Maria-Emilia Salerni
Florencia Molinero
Captain: Mr Ricardo Rivera



AUSTRIA v FRANCE
Venue: Pörtschach, Austria (clay – outdoors)

Austria
Yvonne Meusberger
Sybille Bammer
Sandra Klemenschits
Tamira Paszek
Captain: Mr Alfred Tesar

France
Amélie Mauresmo
Nathalie Dechy
Tatiana Golovin
Mary Pierce
Captain: Mr Georges Goven

[Catriel]

I was sure Spain was going to crush Argentina, but they did not put such a strong team....
Well, our team is not Russia.... but they can manage to make a good fight.
Go Gisela

[tall_one]

Fed Cup - First Round Preview

Here's a look at this weekend's four World Group ties in first round Fed Cup action. The winner's of these ties will advance to July's semifinals:


Italy vs. Russia
The defending Fed Cup champions Russia will be traveling to Italy in their first tie since winning their very first Cup in November. The selection of a clay surface shouldn't be too much of a problem for Russia, who will be led by Elena Dementieva, a finalist at Charleston last weekend. The squad did lose the services of Roland Garros winner Anastasia Myskina, who was forced to pull out of the tie on Tuesday.

Italy will counter with Fed Cup staple Francesca Schiavone, but will be without the services of Silvia Farina Elia, who was runner-up on clay at Amelia Island two weeks ago. Instead, the Italians will look to Flavia Pennetta for support. Pennetta won back-to-back clay court titles earlier this year at Bogota and Acapulco.


United States vs. Belgium
This may be one of the most lopsided ties in recent Fed Cup play. The United States will be sending its strongest squad in years, while the visiting Belgians will be without a pair of former world No.1s.

The biggest question for the Americans may be who captain Zina Garrison selects to play singles - choosing between Davenport, Serena and Venus. Davenport will more than likely be one half of the doubles along with Corina Morariu.

Despite playing without Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne, Belgium comes to Delray Beach hoping Kirsten Flipkens and Els Callens can somehow salvage a few victories over the weekend.


Spain vs. Argentina
This could be the closest matchup in the four first round ties, pitting two clay-loving nations against one another. Medina Garrigues and Llagostera Vives join Marrero and Sanchez Lorenzo on the Spanish squad. Clay is definitely the strongest surface for all four players with Medina Garrigues and Llagostera Vives playing better tennis at the moment.

A young Argentine squad will be led by Dulko, but will need a strong supporting cast - mainly Diaz-Oliva and Salerni - in order to leave Spain with a victory.


Austria vs. France
France captured the 2003 Fed Cup and are eager to hoist the Cup once again. They travel to Austria with Amelie Mauresmo and Nathalie Dechy handling singles duties, while Tatiana Golovin was a late scratch from the roster due to a back injury. Mary Pierce and Virginie Razzano are also on the French squad, giving them four Top 40 players on their squad.

The Cinderella team of the 2004 Cup, Austria, will return to World Group play in 2005, but without Barbara Schett, who provided the firepower last year to keep Austria's hopes alive. Instead, Austria will not have a Top 100 player on their roster - needing world No.131 Yvonne Meusburger and No.155 Sybille Bammer to lead their team on home soil.

The Fed Cup has undergone a change in format in 2005. This year, only eight teams compete in World Group I for the opportunity to hoist the Fed Cup when the finals are played in September.

There are also eight other nations competing this year in World Group II. Those nations will be competing this year for promotion into the 2006 World Group I. The eight ties making up first round action in World Group II are Slovak Republic taking on host Switzerland, Indonesia traveling to face Germany, Thailand hosting Croatia and Japan traveling to Europe to face the Czech Republic.

[tall_one]

Italy vs Russia 1 - 1
F.SCHIAVONE def. D.SAFINA 7-5 6-3
E.DEMENTIEVA def. T.GARBIN 6-4 6-3

USA vs Belgium 2 - 0
L.DAVENPORT def. E.VANHYFTE 6-0 6-2
V.WILLIAMS def. E.CALLENS 6-2 6-2

Spain vs Argentina 2 - 0
N.LLAGOSTERA VIVES def. G.DULKO 6-4 4-6 6-3
A.MEDINA GARRIGUES def. M.SALERNI 6-4 4-6 6-3

Austria vs France 1 - 1
Y.MEUSBURGER def. N.DECHY 7-6(3) 6-2
V.RAZZANO def. T.PASZEK 6-3 6-3

[Laury]

Meusburger, she won because she´s top ten in LRWTT ;D