By now you’ve recovered from the best Super Bowl in decades, if not ever (other than the outcome, which I wasn’t fond of) and have had some time to digest the highlights of last weekend’s Fed Cup matches, including Ashley Harkleroad winning two matches for the U.S. against Germany and Nicole Vaidisova helping secure all three points for the Czech Republic in its 3-2 victory over Slovakia.
I only saw Monday’s rain-delayed action between the U.S. and Germany. But in poring over the weekend’s results, I was struck by the fact that the most compelling tennis of the weekend wasn’t played in the United States, or Israel (where Maria Sharapova led Russia to a 4-1 rout despite rowdy fans who may or may not have been instigated by Shahar Peer), or Italy (where Spain defeated last year’s finalist 3-2). Instead, it took place in Budapest, Hungary, host city to the Europe/Africa Zone Group I D (yes, that’s right, Zone Group I D).
The three teams of EAZGID (suggested pronunciation: “easy guide”)—Serbia, Poland, and Romania—played round-robin matches over three days and then playoff matches. Serbia, led by Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, the second- and fourth-ranked players in the world, kept Serbia undefeated, though Romania gave them a scare when 17-year-old Sorana-Mihaela Cirstea upset Jankovic in three sets. Her victory forced Ivanovic and Jankovic to team up for the decisive doubles match, which they won in three sets over Cirstea and Monica Niculescu, 2-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(2). The win gave Serbia a 2-1 victory. Ivanovic and Jankovic will now face Croatia in April in the World Group playoffs. Romania, surprisingly, was not the weakest team in the group. Cirstea and Niculescu, 20, defeated sisters Agnieszka and Urszula Radwanska in singles and then teamed up for a victory in doubles against two other members of the Polish squad.
The changing power balance among tennis nations has been remarked upon countless times, but I hadn’t seen it manifest itself this clearly in Fed Cup before last weekend. In EAZGID, you had more talent on three teams fighting for a chance at World Group play than you had on the World Group squads of the United States, Germany, Italy, and Spain combined.
Perhaps not many of you know that Fed Cup has a ranking system (go here if you want more information). At the moment, Russia, the defending champion, is the top ranked team—and that’s not going to change for a while. Italy is second, followed by France, Spain, and the United States. China is sixth, but its squad has a great shot at the final this year when they take on Spain in the semifinals in April (it will be China’s first semifinal). Chances are China will be a consistent member of the top five in a few years. Same for Serbia, which is going to find its way into the World Group this year unless Ivanovic or Jankovic are injured or decide not to play (considering their great efforts just a week after deep runs at the Australian Open, I’d be surprised if anything could keep them from competing against Croatia in April). A few years down the road, say five or six, Poland and Romania will have a good chance at top-five status, too.
If you watched the U.S. and Germany last weekend, you essentially had a look at a possibly dim future for the U.S. in Fed Cup. Without the Williams sisters and Lindsay Davenport, players the caliber of Harkleroad (gutsy performance, but it’s hard to see her doing the same against Maria Sharapova) will do battle with similar top 75 players from Germany. Except that winning won’t send the U.S. to Russia for a semifinal, but somewhere else for a chance to have a chance at a semifinal. When the sisters play against Russia, as I’m guessing they will, the tie against Germany will seem like a long time ago. Enjoy it, but try not to forget what the future looks like.