Bookmark this page to:        
Current rating: 0 (0 ratings)
Fed Cup Draws Set For Wednesday
(February 8, 2010) Some nations will learn their Fed cup fate on Wednesday.
The draws for the 2010 Fed Cup World Group and World Group II Playoffs will be held at the International Tennis Federation offices in London on Wednesday at 10:00 local time.
The four seeds for both draws will be based on the new ITF Fed Cup Nations Ranking. The draws will appear on the official Fed Cup website, with all ties to be played April 24-25th.
Italy won four consecutive matches to close a 4-1 conquest of the Ukraine. Defending Fed Cup champion Italy will host the Czech Republic in the semifinals. Lucie Hradecka and Kveta Peschke stopped Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Tatjana Malezk, 6-2, 6-3, to clinch the Czech Republic's 3-2 win over Germany.
Melanie Oudin posted a pair of singles wins to help lead the United States to a 4-1 win over host France on the red clay of Lievin last weekend. Seeking their record-extending 18th Fed Cup championship, the Americans will host Russia in the April 24-25 Fed Cup semifinals a site to be determined. World No. 31 Alisa Kleybanova helped Russia rally from a 2-1 deficit to defeat host Serbia, 3-2, in Belgrade on Sunday. Kleybanova swept Ana Ivanovic to even the tie then partnered Svetlana Kuznetsova to defeat Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic to clinch the semifinal spot.
"We now play Russia in the semifinals and we will have a home tie for the first time since the quarterfinals against Argentina in Arizona last year, which was my first tie as captain," U.S. Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez said in her blog on USTA.com. "It will be nice to be home again and even though we are playing a tough team and probably the favorites of the whole competition, it is nice to be on home territory and have our fans and not have to travel so far, plus it is just after Charleston and it will be a nice change not to get on a plane for a long time."
Fed Cup Nations Rankings
Position Country Points Previous
1st Italy 29957.50 [1st]
2nd Russia 27715.00 [2nd]
3rd USA 15512.50 [3rd]
4th Czech Republic 10097.50 [5th]
5th Spain 7752.50 [4th]
6th Belgium 5055.00 [10th]
7th Ukraine 5037.50 [6th]
8th Germany 4825.00 [8th]
9th Serbia 4805.00 [7th]
10th Slovak Republic 4537.50 [13th]
|
