!Fedcup by Pete Bodo
Howdy. Rosangel and Ed have us pretty well covered this morning, as they do on most Mondays. But I wanted to drop by and tip my hat to y'all. I just wrote a postfor ESPN on the weekend's Fed Cup action, with a focus on - what else? - doubles.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Liezel Huber fought off a match-point at 2-6, 2-5, 30-40 in the second set, and went on with the match and clinch a place in the Fed Cup final, which Italy will host in early November.
It's hard to imagine that the Italians would choose anything but clay for the final; the only time in years that they've gone with a different surface was in 2008, when Italy chose an indoor hard court on which to play Spain.The choice backfired, with Spain winning, 3-2. And choosing hard courts over clay for a tie vs. the USA would roughly be like opting to play Bobby Fischer at chess rather than bingo. And lest you think I'm assigning too much heft to USA singles players Alexa Glatch and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, remember that the US may field a team for the finals featuring Venus and Serena Williams. How do you say "nightmare" in Italian?
Of course, this raises and interesting question - having come this far with a team that appears to be emulating the USA's MIracle on Ice hockey team of 1980, should Fed Cup captain Mary Jo Fernandez even think about recruiting Venus and Serena, or both? Why not go with the flow, see if this really is a team of destiny? I saw in the Monday Net Post the Easy Ed doesn't want Fernandez to bring in the Williams sisters. When I asked him about it at the watercooler, he said he prefers to see the team field a consistent line-up.
While it's true that the players who have done the heavy lifting in the early rounds ought to get a chance to bask in final-round glory, I don't know that participation and loyalty ought to be determining factors in selection.For one thing, a captain's sole job is to figure out how to get the job done - to win. Every player in any given nation ought to be a candidate, and feel like a candidate, for any tie - unless he or she has no interest in the competition. Top players also are more reluctant than you might think to parachute in for a high-profile tie, because that can create tensions within a team, and it puts a lot of pressure on the star player.
Alexa Glatch and Melanie Oudin are promising youngsters, but they're still of a difference class than the Williams sisters. Also, the USA line-up has been juggled plenty already (props to Mary Jo) - it's not like Mattek-Sands or Glatch has carried this team. Team USA has started four different singles players (Jill Crybas, Oudin, Mattek-Sands and Glatch) in just two ties. So why not use six, if that's what it takes to get the job done? I'd be curious to know how the American girls would feel about making room for Venus and Serena, knowing that doing so will certainly leave one or two of them sidelined for the glorious moment. Would any of these girls rather win more matches, or help win the Fed Cup? It's a serious question, I think, and a good one.
Keep in mind that this is a far cry from the good old days. The USA made the final in 2003, only to get waxed by the French. And the last time the USA won the Fed Cup was in 2000, when Lindsay Davenport and Monica Seles roughed up a Spain squad that featured Conchita Martinez and Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario, on fast indoor supreme in Las Vegas.
This weekend, Serbia had to fight its way back into the World Group, despite having Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic on the squad. Also this weekend, talent-laden but unpredictable France re-inserted itself into the Word Group in yet another match decided by the fifth rubber (the doubles) . Russia has won the Fed Cup for four of the last five years, but the Italians - who have shown an amazing ability to punch above their weight - ended that run. So we have the "have nots (the U.S.)" battling it out with the "have somes." And if the USA brings along Venus, Serena or both, it's status can be upgraded to that of a "have mores."
The sisters will be in an awkward position - much moreso than the U.S. captain, Fernandez. The combination of red clay and home-court advantage will present a serious obstacle for the visiting team, even if it's led by the Williams sisters.And who knows what frame of mind the sisters will be in, come November? While the clay may spell d-a-n-g-e-r, let's keep things in perspective: Venus is 35-12 at Roland Garros, and Serena is 31-7. The Italian Fed Cup warhorses are Francesa Schiavone (20-18 at Roland Garros) and Flavia Pennetta, who's just 9-6 at the clay-court major.
And lastly, playing in the final asks a lot, mentally and emotionally, from relative newcomers like Oudin and Glatch. That's another good reason for Fernandez to contemplate picking up the phone after the U.S. Open to launch a campaign to convince the Williamses to play the final. I can see this the other way around, too - take that leap of faith with the youngsters, trusting that their desire and positive Fed Cup experience thus far will be sufficient inspiration. These girls have done a great job, and it may not seem right to yank away the prize that's been dangled before them once they've gotten close enough to grab it.
But an away final, on slow clay, against an Italian team that consistently outperforms expectations - that's a set of conditions that demands players who are Grand Slam tough, seasoned, and capable of intimidating their opponents simply by virtue of who they are. Should the Williams sisters play, they'd have a good shot at bringing home the Fed Cup trophy for the first time in nine years - and every woman who swung a racket in the cause would have reason to feel proud about her contribution.
Glatch, Mattek-Sands and company have done a great job, unexpectedly pulling team USA into the final.Now they should make room for the Williams sisters, if the girls are fit and willing, to complete what would have to be one of the outstanding team performances in recent memory. Playing a smaller role on a winning Fed Cup team must be a more rewarding experience than having a larger role in a losing effort.