Fed Cup 2012

jake270392 · Intermediate Club Player

RE: Fed Cup 2012

wolf · Tennis legend

Baltacha/Watson beat Allgurin/Melander 7-6(3) 6-1 in the doubles.

DavidC · Tennis legend

jake270392 wrote:
So guys who do you think will be given the opportunity to play at the Olympics. We will definitely be given a WC entrant possibly 2 and Anne is the only one who has a shot of qualifying by right so we could have the possibility of 3 playing but if she doesn't, who do you think should be given the chance. 1 more experience player and 1 younger or give bother youngsters a shot or the two older ones?

I expect Bally and Anne will both end up in the singles by some means or other, and Heather/Laura will be given a doubles WC. That way all 4 of our Tour level players will get the opportunity to take part.

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Thanks so much Indie for this report. Much appreciated. It really filled us in and shows how impressions from scoreboards and streams really are never the same as being there live.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Gutted we lost, glad Laura was given the chance. By the discussions on here, she gave us the best chance.

steven · Tennis legend

Thanks for the report Indiana. I still wish I could have joined you all there, even if we did end up losing, because it must be great fun being at an away tie, especially with that particular team to support and some of the barmy army there to lead the cheering.

It's quite worrying that the two who had or have just had foot injuries ended up playing the doubles, i.e. that whatever was wrong with Laura and/or Anne was judged to be worse. Hopefully it was all just precautionary and they just have little niggles that they can recover from before their next tournaments. The pair who played the doubles (the first two we became worried about!) can't have been in too bad a state else surely GB would have just scratched the rubber, certainly not played hard enough to win it.

Judy's first tough tie as Fed Cup captain, of course, but she seemed to have created a really good atmosphere among the team again and it felt like she was making the right selection calls even if they didn't result in wins this time.

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, the Stirling crew were great, they lent so much to the atmosphere.

I enjoyed their often "give us a wave" which once obliged would move onto "give us a dance" It worked with all of the team and coaches in turn even if circumstances would demand a sit down wiggle for the dance at times. Umpires, plus Roger Draper and others when noted in more lofty heights, were not immune. You could try to ignore them but really couldn't but be won over, umpires or whoever.

And they know when to shut up ! Songs in full stream would halt mid sentence / mid word at the right time with pantomine shhs to Swedes that they considered still being too noisy. And certainly the less boisterous Swedes got more "quiet pleases" from umpires over the 2 days.

Jan · Hall of fame

Thanks for the report - do hope none of these injuries are serious.

steven · Tennis legend

GB move up 2 places to 18th in the new Fed Cup rankings.

No new points for us, obviously, but Slovenia and Canada have dropped behind us as points from earlier years dropped of.

Peter too · Tennis legend

The picture says it all.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/17811779

philwrig · Hall of fame

Nothing really to add other than Laura may have jarred her knee slightly chasing down a wide ball.I spoke to Laura very briefly last night and she said it was just a minor problem.
I spoke to the Swedish captain this morning and she said her team thrive on playing at home even though the Stirling crew drowned out all the Swedish fans noise!
Obviously by far the best part of the weekend was Laura's performance. Being court side it was really brought home how much Laura gave in that performance,I don't think she could given more even if her life had depended on it.She chased down balls which have even made an effort to get to a couple of years ago.
I think everybody was emotional court side watching Laura sobbing away for so long after the match,it brings a tear to my eye even thinking about it now.

steven · Tennis legend

Thanks Phil. It was sad watching Laura look so devastated by the result but also very reassuring that she and the team cared quite so much about it, if you see what I mean. Good to see she got plenty of good press today.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

steven wrote:
Thanks Phil. It was sad watching Laura look so devastated by the result but also very reassuring that she and the team cared quite so much about it, if you see what I mean. Good to see she got plenty of good press today.

Not least on the part of OEM in today's Times, to name but one ("Robson's sterling effort enough to earn her title of 'plucky Brit'", an advance on the tag of "promising Brit", apparently! wink ).

steven · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
steven wrote:
Thanks Phil. It was sad watching Laura look so devastated by the result but also very reassuring that she and the team cared quite so much about it, if you see what I mean. Good to see she got plenty of good press today.
Not least on the part of OEM in today's Times, to name but one ("Robson's sterling effort enough to earn her title of 'plucky Brit'", an advance on the tag of "promising Brit", apparently! ).

That wasn't OEM (he was stuck in the less salubrious surroundings of Monte Carlo wink ) and I thought the cynical tone underlying the promising/plucky bit was a bit unnecessary but when he wasn't trying to be 'clever' like that, the rest of that article was good

philwrig · Hall of fame

The journo responsible whilst asking his question at the press conference gave the clear impression that he was a fillin for Neil.Not clueless but not as knowledgeable as a typical tennis journalist.