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Post by Mrs. Fabregas on Jul 15, 2007 23:34:38 GMT 3
Venus Williams won over Anna, 61 64 USA - Russia : 2-1  Nadia won over Meilen Tu, 61 62 ;D, to level the scores and it's now 4 all in the first set of the final rubber  DAVAI RUSSIA!!!!!!! |
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Post by Mrs. Fabregas on Jul 15, 2007 23:47:09 GMT 3
 Petrova and Vesnina won the 1st set, 7-5 ;D |
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Post by Mrs. Fabregas on Jul 16, 2007 0:41:12 GMT 3
 The Ruski ladies won their semi final over the USA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Petrova/ Vesnina defeated Williams/Raymond with 75 76 (1) They're in the finals, where they'll meet Italy, who defeated France with 3-2 |
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Post by Annie on Jul 16, 2007 8:30:03 GMT 3
OMFG I was up till 2 am going mad on my couch but it was soooooooooo worth it!!!! The last rally of the doubles match was a pure classic... Nadia girl you rocked!!!!!! ;D And Lena was great too  Congrats to my girls for managing to do it despite the coach not being there till the last minute and despite everything else... Well done!!!!!!!!!! Time to get that Cup back now |
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Post by Annie on Jul 16, 2007 8:32:09 GMT 3
Russia to host Fed Cup Final ;D ;D
Russia has reached the Final of the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas for the third time in the last four years. Arguably the craftiest captain in tennis’ team events, Shamil Tarpischev, led his nation to a 3-2 victory over USA. It was a semifinal that went right down to the wire with the doubles rubber deciding the weekend’s outcome.
The Russians will take on Italy after they scored a 3-2 victory over France in Castellaneta Marina in southern Italy. Asked about Russia’s chances against the defending champions, Tarpischev said: “We will have a better chance against Italy than we had against the United States.”
Venus Williams gave USA the early edge against Russia. The day before she had played an exciting and tense three setter against Nadia Petrova when Williams came back from a break down in third set to win. This time against Anna Chakvetadze she was sailing with her tennis. She played a near flawless game and overwhelmed the 20-year-old Russian 61 64 in 67 minutes.
Williams faltered at 5-2 but remained calm
The only hiccup for Williams was when she was leading 5-2 in the second. Chakvetadze made a bit of a recovery as Williams admitted to making a few errors which were caused by the wind picking up and the trajectory of the sun. But she remained calm. Her experience kicked in and she was able to close it out.
“Obviously at 5-all she’s gonna feel like she has a chance. In her head she’s thinking she has a chance. In my head, I’m thinking I’m gonna win,” said Venus. “I think my mentality is different because I’m playing a lot more powerful, like I’m stronger than her. So I think my mentality’s different.
“Obviously I did not want it to be 5-all because she’s a great competitor, she had a lot of things going for her, she moves well, moves the ball around well, is a great competitor. I mean, she’s in the top ten. I just really wanted to close it out for 2-1.”
Chakvetadze's 12 double faults aided her downfall
Chakvetadze’s serve deserted her. She had 12 doubles faults and her first serve percentage was down at 48% for the match. She said she had lost confidence in her serve and that started from the second game of the first set. She couldn’t figure out what went wrong.
But she did make that move in the second set and if things had levelled at 5-all, it could have got tight.
I started to play my tennis a little bit late, when I was down a set and 2-5,” said Chakvetadze. “Against top players, if you’re not playing from the beginning, if you’re not showing your best tennis from the beginning, it’s really tough to play.
“Of course it was a very important game when it was 5-4 in the second set and I had a breakpoint. I didn’t use it. Of course Venus, she has so much confidence. She played better than me today. That’s it.”
Nadia Petrova levelled the series in the second reverse singles when she played Meilen Tu . The American captain Zina Garrison had replaced Vania King with Tu and this was the first time Tu had played Fed Cup so there was an element of nerves that entered her game. Even so, Petrova was all over the American with her experience and she closed out the match 61 62 in 62 minutes.
“The pressure was on my shoulders because we were 1-2 down against USA,” said Petrova. “Everything was on the match and it was really hard to play, it was really hard to take it out of my head but I did and I’m very thankful that everything worked today.
“It came down to the experience of playing a lot of years on the tour, playing finals, semifinals against the big names, is also very difficult so it comes with experience.”
In the doubles Petrova and Elena Vesnina scored a 75 76 victory over Lisa Raymond and Williams, who replaced King.
Venus dropped her serve at a crucial time
The Americans had a service break in the second set but Williams dropped her serve and then in the tiebreak the visitors ran away with the match to seal their huge victory.
The match really came down to a couple of points here and there and Williams said she missed some shots that she should not have. Raymond said it is tough not to play with her regular partner but then added that she looks across the court and it’s Venus Williams there and realises she doesn’t have “too shabby a partner”.
“I’ve been around for a while and I know how much Fed Cup means,” said Raymond. “I’m not going to be playing that much longer. I don’t know how many more opportunities I’m going to get to be out there and try and win a match or a tie for the US. It’s pretty tough.”
But while it was sad faces in the American team, the Russian were obviously on cloud nine and 20-year-old Vesnina said this was the best moment of her young career. She said she was so nervous because it was such a big match for her and her country.
“Nadia helped me, she was so confident,” said Vesnina. “Our team was also so confident so this match was unbelievable, just incredible. I don’t have any words to describe this match.”
'It feels fantastic' says Petrova
Petrova added: “I’m very happy that I did it because I was very disappointed after losing to Venus when I had everything in my hands and then I broke down, I couldn’t handle the nerves and the pressure. Today I got to do everything and get back to my team, make it up to them. I did it today. It just feels great. It feels fantastic.”
It’s moments like this, playing for your nation in an event like Fed Cup that can start to really develop a career.
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Post by Annie on Jul 16, 2007 8:35:09 GMT 3
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Post by hellanvodka on Jul 16, 2007 10:59:03 GMT 3
OH YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well done girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so pround of ya!
Would be so nice that our both boys and girls holding Davis cup and Fed cup at the same time!
Perhaps the Americans would love to remember why the hell they refuse to issue Tarpi a Visa, cuz they are afraid of LOSS!
Its proven that our girls are the best! There is nothing can beat Russian tennis! God that really feeds my patrotic soul!
Davai!
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Post by Alya10 on Jul 16, 2007 12:33:07 GMT 3
My congrats to the girls ;D
Molodets!
Russia's opponents should learn that they get tougher as things get hard and not the other way around LMAO!
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Post by Annie on Jul 16, 2007 12:44:31 GMT 3
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Post by SAFINNO1 on Jul 16, 2007 15:50:36 GMT 3
WELL DONE GIRLYS OF RUSSIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Without a depleted team beat another depleted team but im sure the feisty italians will put up more of a fight as they go for another fed cup victory.
If russia are at full strength they got no chance
DAVAI GIRLS
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Post by annie on Jul 17, 2007 2:32:35 GMT 3
CONGRATS GIRLS! WAY TO GO!
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Post by SAFINNO1 on Jul 18, 2007 21:30:09 GMT 3
Russia drop Sharapova for Fed Cup
Sharapova has pulled out of Fed Cup matches twice this year
Maria Sharapova has been dropped from the Russia team for the Fed Cup final against Italy in Moscow in September.
The world number two angered Russian tennis officials after pulling out of last week's semi-final at the last minute, saying she was not fit.
"I feel it just wouldn't be right to invite Sharapova this time," said Russia team captain Shamil Tarpishchev.
Asked if he would pick Sharapova next year, Tarpishchev said he would review the situation at the end of the season.
Florida-based Sharapova is yet to make a Fed Cup appearance for her native country.
The 20-year-old also pulled out of the first-round tie against Spain in April.
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Post by Dina on Jul 18, 2007 21:52:55 GMT 3
i was sooo expecting this from Shamil! well behave Masha if ya wanna play next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by hellanvodka on Sept 15, 2007 19:41:11 GMT 3
Nail-biting opening victory for Chakvetadze
It was a tense but thrilling start to this 2007 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Final and it came down to Russia to put the first point on the scoreboard. 20-year-old Anna Chakvetadze, a relative newcomer to the competition in comparison to the rest of this weekend¡¯s players, capitalised on a shocking error by Francesca Schiavone in the third set to win the opening rubber 64 46 64.
An up-and-down first set showed that neither of the players were playing at their best. Schiavone had problems with her first serve, averaging 52%, which she later described as ¡°diabolical,¡± and Chakvetadze, being pushed to use her weaker forehand by the Italian, produced a number of frustrating unforced errors.
It could have been anyone's games therefore but a nod of encouragement from Maria Sharapova on the sidelines enabled Chakvetadze to edge forward to 5-3, going on to hold serve and take the set much to the delight of the vociferous Russian crowd, led by the ubiquitous Russian fan on his bugle.
Schiavone turned the disadvantage around in the second set, her relentless and Nadal-like personality coming to the forefront and almost pushing Chakvetadze to tears, at one point the young Muscovite smashing her racket on the net as she missed a crafty dropshot placed beautifully by Schiavone. The Italian¡¯s second set victory came in the middle of a five-game winning streak, sailing through to a 3-0 lead in the third thanks to some weak forehands from Chakvetadze.
¡°When I was 0-3 down in the third set I thought oh my god, we could be 1-0 down to Italy and this is going to be tough for Sveta,¡± said the Russian, who turned to the serene Shamil Tarpischev for restoration.
¡°There was no point talking about tactics at this stage, so he was trying to calm me down and help me to be more positive and relaxed.¡±
It worked. Chakvetadze rallied to 1-3 before the turning point of the match in the fifth game. Schiavone made an absolute mess of an easy shot set up by a flipped net-ball from her opponent, the whole crowd gasping as she visibly crushed under the humiliation.
¡°I was afraid to touch the net with my racket so I hesitated,¡± she said, clearly smarting from the wound and hurriedly wanting to forget that crucial shot.
From then on, Chakvetadze had the momentum on her side, and despite some brave and aggressive tennis from Schiavone, secured the third set 6-4 and ultimately the match after 2 hours 15 minutes.
Although Chakvetadze found the noisy crowd a hindrance in the first half of the game, she later cited the support as crucial to her success, particularly the presence of Maria Sharapova, her coach Robert Landsorp¡¯s former pupil: ¡°It felt great, terrific actually, it really helped me a lot and I¡¯m so excited to have won this match.¡±
Schiavone, still managing to crack a smile and a joke despite the obvious devastation, faced the realisation of her first rubber loss. ¡°I am sad for my nation, not just for me. It¡¯s tough for us now. The most important thing to concentrate on now is enjoying this place and this experience.¡±
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Post by hellanvodka on Sept 15, 2007 19:42:52 GMT 3
Brilliant Kuznetsova overpowers Santangelo
Svetlana Kuznetsova was on top form to put Russia 2-0 ahead against Italy in the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas 2007 Final.
Fresh off the back of reaching the US Open, Kuznetsova defeated World No. 34 Mara Santangelo 61 62 in under an hour, overpowering the Italian from the very first point. Santangelo was on the back foot immediately as Kuznetsova broke her serve in the second game with a series of powerful backhands. This was a constant theme all the way through the match, with the Russian hitting five times more winning returns than her opponent.
The World No. 2 was also relentless in her serving, winning 90% of her first serve points, which included eight aces. With Kuznetsova playing in this manner, it was always going to be hard for the Italian, who was under constant pressure. She made a series of unforced errors, which certainly didn¡¯t help her cause and her backhand also wasn¡¯t working as it can, hitting the ball very flatly and with little top spin. Kutnetsova was completely the opposite, varying her pace and hitting a perfect length. Santangelo also didn¡¯t seem to have a plan B and persisted with the same tactics through the whole match, staying rooted to the baseline.
¡°I was always under pressure and she played very very good today. She was just far too good for me today¡±, said Santangelo.
Kuznetsova was in vibrant form for this rubber and was nothing short of relentless against the Italian.
¡°That was not easy today and is a big plus for me. I played well on certain points and I¡¯m in good shape at the moment. I was really ready for this and I always give my opponents as less chance as possible¡±, commented Kuznetsova.
Kuznetsova also acknowledged the vocal support she received during the match from the local Moscovites and her teammates, making special mention to Maria Sharapova who was watching from the team bench.
It doesn¡¯t bode well for the rest of the tie for the Italians with Kuznetsova in this frame of mind and the Russians will be looking to wrap things, first thing on Sunday. ¡°For tomorrow I will be ready, we want to fight all together.¡± If successful, this will be their third victory in four years.
As for the Italians, there have only been three comebacks from 0-2 since the best-of-five format was adopted for Fed Cup World Group matches in 1995, so its going to be a mountain to climb. Italian captain Corrado Barazzutti was realistic when asked about his side chances for tomorrow, saying, ¡°I think it will very very difficult from this position, but we will try. Players know they have to fight.¡±
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