Fed Cup

Russia, France reach Fed Cup final


MOSCOW (AP) -- Defending champion France and Russia swept their semifinals Thursday and will play for the Fed Cup championship.

French Open champion Anastasia Myskina and U.S. Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova won singles matches to power Russia past Austria 5-0. France, led by Nathalie Dechy and Tatiana Golovin, defeated Spain by the same score.

France beat Russia in the semifinals in Moscow last season. France will be playing in its third final this weekend, having won the previous two. Russia is in the fifth final but has never won.

``If we don't succeed in playing our best tennis, we have no chance to win at all,'' France captain Guy Forget said. ``And if we do manage to play our best tennis from the first point to the last -- which is not easy -- maybe we have a small chance.''

Myskina rallied past Yvonnes Meusburger 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to give Russia an unbeatable 3-0 lead. Kuznetsova then routed Daniela Kix 6-1, 6-1, and the doubles team of Elena Likhovtseva and Kuznetsova completed the rout with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Meusburger and Patricia Wartusch.

``They have everything behind them,'' Dechy said. ``They are playing on their stadium, they have the biggest team ever, so we can only make a surprise. And we are ready to do something good.''

The Russian team faces a delicate matter after Myskina said she will quit the Fed Cup squad if Maria Sharapova joins the squad next year. Myskina says she doesn't like the Wimbledon champion's father.


Sharapova has never played for the team, and she wasn't invited because of her tight calendar, captain Shamil Tarpischev said. Myskina said her problem is with Sharapova's father and coach, Yuri.

``I feel his behavior is totally incorrect, simply rude. I don't want to be around people like him,'' Myskina said.

Myskina, ranked No. 3, and Kuznetsova, ranked No. 4, gave Russia a a 2-0 lead Wednesday against an Austrian team missing three key players. On Thursday, Myskina won three consecutive games only to lose the next six games and drop the set.

``She surprised me by playing very slowly and I couldn't catch her rhythm,'' Myskina said.

The Russian found her game in the second set and had no trouble in the third.

Kuznetsova needed just 39 minutes to dispatch with Kix, who replaced Wartusch.

Dechy put the French ahead 3-0, defeating Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 6-1. Golovin then stopped Marta Marrero 6-3, 6-4, and Marion Bartoli and Emelie Loit downed Marrero and Virginia Ruano Pascual 7-5, 6-2 in doubles.

``It's the best result we could imagine,'' Dechy said. ``We won all the matches in straight sets and didn't spend much time on the court. It's a good preparation for the final.''

France's chances of keeping the title were once in doubt after second-ranked Amelie Mauresmo skipped the tournament to concentrate on next season. Then, two-time Grand Slam tournament champion Mary Pierce was sidelined with a sore shoulder. That left Dechy and Golovin, and they proved reliable.

Dechy, ranked 21st, clinched her fifth consecutive Fed Cup victory. The 16-year-old Russian-born Golovin, who made her Fed Cup singles debut Wednesday, won seven consecutive games to take the first set and a 4-0 lead in the second. Golovin has moved up 328 positions in the rankings to No. 27.

``I think I have the game for it,'' Golovin said. ``It's just a matter of how consistent I am.''

They were lost to Russia 2-3 (because Marion Bartoli & Emilie Loit were lost to Anastasia Myskina & Vera Zvonareva), as the result they have defend their title were failed......

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And then, their leader Guy Forget was resigned his position in this team......

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Afterwards, his compatriot & Tatiana Golovin's coach Georges Goven was replaced him to became the new leader of this team!!

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What do you think?

Hi PierceCheng !

Interesting questions . In my opinion, Guy Forget's decision is very strange. It seems to be the result of the mess we heard about between him and Amelie when she refused to participate at the Fed Cup in Russia the last time... They say they are still good friends but (no comment).
I've always thought that Forget is a best captain for the men and the Davis Cup. (it's my opinion)

George Goven certainly is a good coach/captain. Wait and see

Veronique a écrit:

Hi PierceCheng !

Interesting questions . In my opinion, Guy Forget's decision is very strange. It seems to be the result of the mess we heard about between him and Amelie when she refused to participate at the Fed Cup in Russia the last time... They say they are still good friends but (no comment).
I've always thought that Forget is a best captain for the men and the Davis Cup. (it's my opinion)

George Goven certainly is a good coach/captain. Wait and see

I agree with you, Veronique.

I think Amelie Mauresmo should make the advertisement of apologises for she was withdrawn for no reason last year and Marion Bartoli & Emilie Loit should leave the team for they were lost to Anastasia Myskina & Vera Zvonareva in the important match.

What do you think?

Hi PierceCheng What do you mean when you say "make advertisements of apologises" ?

est-ce que quelqu'un sait si france télévision diffuse la Fed cup?
à mon avis,il ne faut pas rêver,mais bon....

Aerius a écrit:

Hi PierceCheng What do you mean when you say "make advertisements of apologises" ?

Yes.

I agree with you too PierceCheng.

But you know, I'll try to ask this question about the fact she didn't say anything to the french fans here. I think they won't dare to criticize her decision because they like her very much...
There are a lot of things I don't understand about Amelie's behaviour but I got no answers.
Concerning Bartoli and Loit, I think you're right too

Marion and Emilie won't be in Austria next week end

Their first competitors are Austria!!

I have the information of this match:

World Group I 2005
1st Round
Werzer Arena, Portschach, AUT
Stadium Capacity: 1600
23 April - 24 April 2005
Day 1: 1200hrs (GMT 1000hrs )
Day 2: 1000hrs (GMT 0800hrs)
Surface: Clay (Red Clay) - Outdoors
Ball Type: Wilson Double Core

Austria-Offical

Yvonne Meusburger
Sybille Bammer
Sandra Klemenschits
Tamira Paszek
Captain:Alfred Tesar

France-Offical

Amelie Mauresmo
Mary Pierce
Virginie Razzano (She was replaced Tatiana Golovin to play)
Nathalie Dechy
Captain:Georges Goven

Now I post this result for this match:

• Nathalie Dechy lost to Yvonne Meusburger 6-7 & 2-6 in round 1
  
• Virginie Razzano defeated Tamira Paszek twice set 6-3 in round 2
  
• Virginie Razzano defeated Yvonne Meusburger 6-3 & 7-6 in round 3
  
• Nathalie Dechy defeated Tamira Paszek 7-6 & 6-2 in round 4
  
• Nathalie Dechy & Virginie Razzano defeated Klemenschits sister (Daniella & Sandra) 6-4 & 7-5 in round 5 (final round)
  

(Mary Pierce & Amelie Mauresmo haven't play because they are still injury)

France defeated Austria 4-1!!

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Their next competitors are Spain.

Good luck, France!!

Also we wish Mary Pierce's injury will be recover soon!!

Piercecheng wrote this somewhere else :

Citation :

Suspension:

Mary Pierce (1 year, because she lost the final match at the critical moment in final of this tournament last year)

Amelie Mauresmo (2 years, because she lost the same final match with Pierce last year; also she made the irresponsible behaviour in semi final of this tournament two years ago before, but she was cameback at one year after)

I read this on other boards also. What is your opinion ?

I agree !

Amelie had a very bad behaviour 2 years ago with Forget it is true .