And thanks for congratulating, Paul!!! :)))

Now we know the rest of Tarpischev's list of 9. Leading Team Russia in the semifinals will be Zvonareva and Kuzi--adroit on the red clay. The other two will be chosen from among Petrova, Chaki, Alisa Kleybanova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Ekaterina Makarova. (Shamil had said earlier--in Fed Cup Magazine--that Chaki will also definitely play. I would expect one of the teens to be on the squad.)

The Russia/Italy tie takes place in the health resort Nova Yardinia in Castellaneta Marina on the southern coast of Italy. The Italians have won two previous Fed Cup ties there and have to be treated as the favorites. Expect Pennetta, Schiavone, their top women. (The location is only 20 minutes from Flavia Pennetta's hometown, so you know family & friends will pack the stadium... http://www.fedcup.com/news/video.asp?articleid=12363 )

Fed Cup SEMIS:

Russia vs Italy

Nova Yardinia, Castellaneta Marina, Italy
Stadium Capacity: 3500
25 April - 26 April 2009
Day 1: 1330 hrs (1230 hrs GMT) tbc
Day 2: 1130 hrs (1030 hrs GMT) tbc
Surface: Clay (Red Clay) - Outdoors
Ball Type: Dunlop Fort Elite

USA vs Czech Republic

Starobrno Rondo Arena, Brno, Czech Republic
Stadium Capacity: 4250
25 April - 26 April 2009
Day 1: 1330 hrs (1130 hrs GMT)
Day 2: 1200 hrs (1000 hrs GMT)
Surface: Hard (Acrylic) - Indoors
Ball Type: Wilson Australian Open

Brno is Lucie Safarova's hometown.

Expect live streams of both & perhaps other Fed Cup meets.

Fed Cup e-zine: The latest issue of the 2009 Fed Cup Magazine is now out, featuring articles from all the first round ties in World Group I and II.

To view the latest edition:
 
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/4c8b50a7#/4c8b50a7/1

Audio inteview with Vera Zvonareva:

http://www.fedcup.com/shared/medialibrary/audio/mp3/FC_5589_mp3.mp3

 

C'mon guys - you know as well as I do that this is a dead competition

How many times has Russia won in a row now?

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

---

Bruce Springsteen

Sure, but: 

"Italy is the only nation other than Russia to win the Fed Cup in the last five years. Italy won the 2006 final, defeating Belgium, who had eliminated Russia in the first round that year - the only defeat that Russia has suffered in the last five years of the competition. Italy is bidding to reach its 3rd Fed Cup final in the last four years and prevent Russia becoming the first nation since France in 2005 to reach three successive Fed Cup Finals."

Pennetta, Schiavone, Garbin... on Italian clay. Pennetta calls Schiavone the boss, but the venue is only minutes from Flavia's home--a core crowd that is not simply nationalistic but also personally loyal to and involved with a lead player. As the Russians often put it, Flavia will "die on that court" before she'll give up.

To neglect the power of all that would be to court disaster. Not that I think they will. These are matters that Russians understand. But these opponents, fighting on their home soil, demand respect.

 

Pennetta and Schiavone, when they're on, are very dangerous opponents plus they have the crowd behind them.

hahahaha, I just looked at their head-to-head match-ups and it's not looking good for the Italians.

   Zvonareva leads Pennetta 1-0

   Zvonareva leads Schiavone 8-0

   Kuzi leads Pennetta 1-0

   Kuzi leads Schiavone 8-3

---

Yes, they have done all that and no doubt some of it on clay. But I'm still watching both teams closely & will not breathe easy until this Italian tie is wrapped up.

Remember, Lenochka had never beaten Serena--I think it was 0-8--until the fall of 2007. When Elena was the last woman standing between Serena & the Kremlin Cup, she became possessed. Not today, not in my city, not on my watch... and Serena wilted in the face of that passion. Contrary to the pundits, I think that was when Elena's run to the Bejing Gold began, at least as much as at Dubai a couple of months later.

Never underestimate "the patriot game", y'know?

Italy names squad

Italian captain Corrado Barazzutti has announced his squad for their Fed Cup by BNP Paribas semifinal against Russia. The team line up is the same as it was for their first round victory over France and is as follows: Sara Errani Flavia Pennetta Francesca Schiavone Roberta Vinci The tie will take place on clay at the Nova Yardinia in Castellaneta Marina on April 25-26. The last time the two nations met was in the 2007 final in Moscow when Russia ran out as convincing winners 4-0. OTOH, Errani, Schiavone & Vinci are already working on the clay at Marbella. Francesca & Roberta lost a doubles breaker today--but that was to the Spaniards. Roberta Vinci is undefeated in Fed Cup doubles, only Indonesia’s Angelique Widjaja (16) has won more doubles rubbers than Vinci without defeat. Italy won its first Fed Cup title in 2006, defeating Belgium 3-2 in a dramatic final doubles rubber. Italy is one of four nations to have competed in every Fed Cup. Edit: Closely watching the Italians' performance in Marbella. One does not want to count only on Schiavone blowing her top ('cause she may not) and you definitely do not want to face a deciding doubles. Vinci's cross-court backhand is deadly.

WORLD GROUP SEMIFINALS

ITALY v RUSSIA
Venue: Nova Yardinia, Castellaneta Marina, Italy (clay - outdoors)

Italy
Flavia Pennetta
Francesca Schiavone
Sara Errani
Roberta Vinci
Captain: Corrado Barazzutti

Russia
Vera Zvonareva
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Nadia Petrova
Anna Chakvetadze
Captain: Shamil Tarpischev

CZECH REPUBLIC v USA
Venue: Starobrno Rondo Arena, Brno, Czech Republic (hard - indoors)

Czech Republic
Iveta Benesova
Petra Kvitova
Lucie Safarova
Kveta Peschke
Captain: Petr Pala

USA
Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Liezel Huber
Melanie Oudin
Alexa Glatch
Captain: Mary-Joe Fernandez

World Group & World Group II Play-off nominations are also listed:

http://www.fedcup.com/news/newsarticle.asp?articleid=12380

 

 

Hold on. Now comes information considerably different from the initial nominations on the Fed Cup site. From TK Sport, translated from sportbox.ru:

Tarpischev has determined the composition for the match with Italy -- April 15, 2009, 18:25

To the semi-final match of the goblet of federation, which women's team of Russia on April 25 to 26 will conduct as guests in Italy, in the composition of our command will be Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova, Alisa Kleybanova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Anna Chakvetadze.

In conversation with TK Sport correspondent Olga Bogoslovskoy, the President of the Federation of Tennis of Russia ([FTR]) Shamil Tarpishchev noted that Vera Zvonareva, who missed ten days training because of injury, will be joined to the command later and, probably will play paired with Nadia Petrova.

Dinara Safina will not be in the current drawing to be assigned to the match of the goblet of federation. “In this year we decided “to let go” Dinara,” said Tarpischev. "For the following year, we will release Kuznetsova. Safina's problem lies in the fact that, she, like, for example Bovina and Cherkasov, does not feel (where is her) overload level, cannot stop at the necessary moment--as if running a fever."

He spoke with her two days it ago and felt with Dinara that the powerful psychological pressure no longer presses her with the prospect that she soon becomes number one. Now, when this purpose is achieved, pressure is gone. In the opinion of the FTR President, although in this year reduced the weight on Safina, she's still “feverish”.

"The first of our command in the matches of the goblet of the federation will be Svetlana Kuznetsova. She long has had the potential to become number one," recounted Tarpischev. "But Svetlana... (can't translate  “superfluously [ostorozhnichaet]. To her command is not sufficient, which she constantly supported and directed.")

The FTR President feels sorry that Kuznetsova parted with Olga Morozova. This breach is explained not by sport, but purely psychological reasons. In this case “encountered two strong egos".  “I warned them, that they should less stir and more greatly work," says Tarpischev. But it was not heard. For Roland Garros, Svetlana will be coached by Larissa Savchenko. (A former Russian pro of note who often works closely with Shamil.)

Nadia Petrova boosted restoration after injury, which Tarpischev considers incorrect. "Since one must play with the Italians on clay, physical conditions will be very important. Thus Petrova will play one singles match and then will play paired with Zvonareva. In one additional singles match will come out someone of 'the young'."

As far as Maria Sharapova is concerned, she is actively preparing for Roland Garros. According to her father--to whom Tarpischev spoke a few days ago--before the French Open, Sharapova will play two tournaments.

Dunno. The old fox Shamil isn't known for laying out his plans in such detail.  Keep in mind that team (command) composition can change up until the last 24 hours--and how he deploys the player assignments can change at any time.

paul_pipkin:

WORLD GROUP SEMIFINALS


USA
Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Liezel Huber
Melanie Oudin
Alexa Glatch
Captain: Mary-Joe Fernandez

Where the heck are the Williams Sisters?   How come they are not playing for their country?

---

SANDRA BULLOCK = Best Actress at the Oscars 2010!!!

If you have a few seconds free, PLEASE go and sign the petition to try and help stop all commercial whaling: http://whaleman.org/index.htm

Maria Sharapova | Novak Djokovic | Jelena Jankovic | Grigor Dimitrov | Kim Clijsters | Rafael Nadal | Elena Dementieva |
Andy Roddick | Laura Robson | Fernando Verdasco | Maria Kirilenko | Lleyton Hewitt | Melanie Oudin.

mashadabest:

paul_pipkin:

WORLD GROUP SEMIFINALS


USA
Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Liezel Huber
Melanie Oudin
Alexa Glatch
Captain: Mary-Joe Fernandez

Where the heck are the Williams Sisters?   How come they are not playing for their country?

Venus plays Fed Cup from time to time but Serena is largely indifferent to the enterprise. (Though she must have played sometime to get on the Olympic squad.)

I don't know how much (if anything) this has to do with it, but Serena has recently been rather chatty about her identification with a religious sect that is extremely apolitical. The Jehovah's Witnesses don't do military service, salute the flag, pledge allegiance, etc. I doubt they ban playing on a national sports team, but all that may condition her attitude.

Host broadcasters for Fed Cup ties Italy/Russia & Czech Rep/USA:

From Italy -- RAI Sport: Streams from that channel have been found around the Net before. Sounds promising.

Host Broadcasters				International Broadcasters
Italy : RAI Sports Day 1 :Saturday 25th April 12:00 LIVE (10:00GMT) Day 2 :Sunday 26th April 11:30 LIVE (09:30GMT)				Russia : NTV PLUS Day 1 :Saturday 25th April 14:00 LIVE (10:00GMT) Day 2 :Sunday 26th April 13:30 LIVE (09:30GMT)

From Czech Rep -- Channel CT4 Sport: International broadcasts announced so far are Tennis Channel in the US and Malta's GO Sports +3.

myp2p.eu promises streams for both (linx will appear approx 05:00 GMT on Saturday morning.)

http://www.myp2p.eu/competition.php?&competitionid=&part=sports&discipline=tennis&allowedDays=7 

Also streams for Playoffs France/Slovakia & Argentina/Ukraine. Canada will again provide a stream of their team (vs Belgium.)

Tennis Canada to webcast Canada-Belgium tie

Tennis Canada has announced that the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas tie between Canada and Belgium will be webcast live at www.tenniscanada.com. Taking place at the Ethias Arena in Hasselt, Belgium, on red clay, all the matches will be broadcast live on the internet on April 25-26. "This is a great opportunity for fans throughout the country to watch quality tennis and to see the high level our players have reached,” said Michael S. Downey, president and chief executive officer, Tennis Canada. “We are very proud of our team and hope to see Aleks, Stéphanie, Sharon and Valérie come out on top.” Schedule of play April 25 – Matches begin at 2.30 pm local time (8.30 am EST / 1.30pm GMT) April 26 - Matches begin at 1.00 pm local time (7.00 am EST / 12.00pm GMT)

 

Zvonareva will be replaced by Kleybanova or Pavlyuchenkova

Team Russia captain Shamil Tarpischev described the progress of preparation of the female national team for the Fed Cup semi-final against the Italians.

"In the south of Italy it is now cool, rainy, and the forecast for the second half of the week also does not suggest any particular optimism," Sport Ekspress quotes Tarpischev. "The small town of Castellaneta Marina is located approximately a hundred kilometers both from Bari and from Brindisi, where we played in 2005. At the disposal of participants in the match are three clay courts--moreover, the two secondary courts are more friable (crumbly or pulverized) in comparison with the central court.

"The Italian team came out in full strength in Barcelona last week. Yet until Tuesday they've conducted not one training, but our tennis players already have had time to test the local surface. The solution apropos of who will replace Zvonareva in the official nomination--Kleybanova or Pavlyuchenkova--I will decide later, but in any event, Vera's injury weakened our composition."

Let us recall that Zvonareva suffered injury last week in the match of 1/8 finales of the Charleston tournament against the Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano. With a score of 1:1 in the first set the Russian woman forewent the fight (retired).

22 April 2009, 11:34 from sportbox.ru

Капитан сборной России Шамиль Тарпищев рассказал о ходе подготовки женской национальной команды к полуфиналу Кубка Федерации против итальянок.

- На юге Италии сейчас прохладно, идут дожди, и прогноз на вторую половину недели тоже не внушает особого оптимизма, - приводит слова Тарпищева "Спорт-Экспресс". - Местечко Кастелланета Марина - совсем небольшое и находится примерно в ста километрах как от Бари, так и от Бриндизи, где мы играли в 2005 году. В распоряжении участниц матча - три грунтовых корта, причем два второстепенных более рыхлые по сравнению с центральным. Итальянская сборная на прошлой неделе в полном составе выступала в Барселоне, и до вторника еще не провела ни одной тренировки, а наши теннисистки уже успели опробовать здешнее покрытие. Решение по поводу того, кто заменит Звонареву в официальной заявке - Клейбанова или Павлюченкова, - будет принято мною позднее, но травма Веры в любом случае ослабила наш состав.

Напомним, что Звонарева получила травму на прошлой неделе в матче 1/8 финала турнира в Чарльстоне против француженки Виржинии Раззано. При счете 1:1 в первой партии россиянка отказалась от борьбы.

From eurosport.ru 22/04/2009 at 20:26 Moscow

According to Zvonareva, the captain of the composite Shamil Tarpischev, after learning the impossibility of her participation in the match with the Italians, advised her to first of all heal her injury.

(Vera expressed her concern & regret...) “...since I with happiness always played for the command. Especially as now a complex task is before the captain. The Italian team is very strong. Moreover they play at home, also on clay. Not all our girls had time to begin the clay season - it will be difficult to immediately start on an earthen court”, noted Zvonareva.

“I nevertheless see in our girls high class -- even young tennis players, such as Alisa Kleybanova and Nastya Pavlyuchenkova, over the last half a year showed very good game. I think that Shamil Anvyarovich correctly drew them into the composite. Their future prospects are to play much for the command, and the present match will be a good experience for them”, recounts the tennis player.

Team Russia's chances in the forthcoming semi-final of the goblet of the federation, Zvonareva estimated with cautious optimism. “I think that a very heavy fight is in prospect, but I believe that everything will work out. I want to wish success to all the girls, I will ache for them in Moscow”, she said.

As reports RIA Novosti, in the official nomination of Russian women Zvonareva will be replaced by either Kleybanova or Pavlyuchenkova. The final decision will be announced later.

(That will now be within the next 24 hours or so.)