Fed Cup Recap: So Much For That Idea

Where did I possibly get the idea that this was going to be a competitive and tightly contested weekend of world groups ties in the Fed Cup?  We did get 3 live doubles rubbers but we had 5 sweeps.  Partly due to the lack of participation from top players, one of the Fed Cup semis will have a different feel this year.  Generally we see Russia, Italy, Czech Republic, and one imposter in the semis but Russia has been eliminated and the two others will play in the semis.  So now we'll see under performers like Australia and Germany in the mix.

I hate to keep bringing lack of participation, but after I posted my preview from the names on the Fed Cup website, a number of competitors withdrew or failed to show up for the competition, so my predictions are off in those cases.  Here's a few of the names:  Kvitova, Jovanovski, Wozniacki, Flipkens, Pironkova, Robson, Hercog, Minella, Daniilidou, etc.

So now from those who failed to show to those who did:

World Group I

ITA 3 USA 1 - The American Fed Cup team takes over from where the Davis Cup left off.  McHale put up a good fight against Knapp but then Keys laid an egg against Giorgi, winning only 3 games.  Riske came off the bench for Keys and played better but still lost to Knapp.  Even without their 4 stalwarts, Italy makes the semis, showing increasing depth in that country.  The USA now has all kinds of question marks going forward, on tour and in Fed Cup.

CZE 3 ESP 2 - This tie had issues with weather and had to have 3.5 rubbers completed on Monday.  Suarez Navarro took both her singles matches but couldn't win the doubles with Soler Espinosa.  Zakopalova beat Torro-Flor in the suspended match and the extra day allowed Safarova to come the bench after having been sick to beat Soler Espinosa to send the tie to the doubles.  The Czechs again proved their doubles prowess with Hlavackova/Zahlavova Strycova sending the visitors back to the semis.

GER 3 SVK 1 - At least these were good matches.  Petkovic saved a match point and come back to prevail against Cibulkova.  Kerber then took care of Hantuchova and clinched over Cibulkova without dropping a set while winning 2 tiebreaks.  The Germans finally break through, making the semis for the first time since 1995 and winning a World Group I tie for the first time since 2002 (there were 16 teams in a single group then).

AUS 4 RUS 0 - We knew this was going to happen.  I'll leave it to you to determine if the 11 games won by the Russians in the 3 live rubbers was what was expected.  Dellacqua dropping only 2 games to Khromacheva tells us her form from the Aussie Open carried over.

World Group II

CAN 3 SRB 0 - Jovanovski didn't show so any slight chance Serbia had evaporated.  Wozniak outlasted Dolonc in 3 sets to set up the rising star Bouchard.  The Canadian no. 1 would drop just 4 games in 4 sets against Jaksic and Dolonc.

POL 3 SWE 2 - Radwanska the hero, did pretty much all the lifting here, winning all 3 points.  She lost just 7 games to Arvidsson and Larsson to put Poland up 2-1.  The problem was Piter won only 6 games against said Swedes.  But Radwanska was equally good in the doubles with Rosolska, a specialist.  The Poles beat the Swedes 6-2 6-2 and the world no. 5 will play for a spot in the competition's top tier in April.

FRA 3 SUI 2 - Swiss teen Bencic, certainly a rising star, tried to pull a Radwanska but came up short in the doubles.  She beat Cornet and Razzano but those two Frenchwomen beat Bacsinszky and Voegele and tie came down to the doubles after all the singles matches were straight sets affairs.  There the French had their secret weapon Mladenovic (2 mixed doubles major titles in the last year) waiting with Cornet to beat Bacsinszky/Bencic 7-5 6-4.

ARG 3 JPN 1 - I said Argentina was a tough out at home and indeed they were.  Both matches on day 1 were 3 sets but both ended well for hosts with Irigoyen defeating Nara is match over 3.5 hrs and Ormaechea trumping Doi.  Ormaechea then clinched over Nara to open proceedings Sunday.

World Group Semis: Italy at Czech Republic, Germany at Australia

World Group I Playoff Participants: Argentina, Canada, France, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, United States

World Group II Playoff Participants: Brazil, Japan, Netherlands, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand

-Australia is their first semi since 1993 and it has been since 1995 for Germany.  The Czechs and Italians are perennial semifinalists, this will be the 6th straight year for both.
-Russia loses a first round match and thus competes in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
-United States, France, Slovakia, Spain, Japan, Serbia, Sweden, and Switzerland have been in and out of these World Group playoff ties several times over the past years.
-Argentina, Canada, and Poland haven't been playing for a spot in World Group I for many years.  It was 2009 for Argentina (they were actually bumped down from World Group I that year) but it has been since 2004 for Canada and all the way back to 1993 for Poland.  But back then there was only one World Group.
-Of the countries vying for spots in World Group II out of the zones, Brazil hasn't made the playoffs since 2004, Thailand was relegated from World Group II in 2006, Romania hasn't made the playoffs since 1999, and the Netherlands was last there in 2002.  So each of these zonal teams making the playoffs is a big story.

Europe/Africa Zonal Group I

The unexpected stars of this show was the Netherlands, who got things off to a good start with Bertens and Hogenkamp stunning Wickmayer and Mestach.  Things only got better for them as they cruised through the group without losing a rubber.  Romania had some bumps and bruises along the way with Halep losing to Babos on the first day of the competition and Cirstea being beaten by Watson in their second tie.  But Begu/Niculescu would clean up each mess in the doubles and Romania progressed.  Ukraine was not pushed on the first two days of the competition but found themselves in a doubles rubber against Austria for a place in the final.  L.Kichenok/Savchuk came through over Klemenschits/Mayr-Achleitner.  Svitolina was fantastic throughout the week.  And in the wide open pool D, Belarus showed it was more than an Azarenka show as they only dropped one dead doubles rubber during pool play, thanks to the play of Govortsova and Sasnovich.

In the group final though, it was the Dutch and Romanians prevailing over the Ukrainians and Belorussians, neither tie needing to play the doubles.

Luxembourg, playing without Minella, and Slovenia, playing with Hercog, were relegated, falling to Bulgaria and Latvia in the relegation ties.  Luxembourg was the only country to not win a single rubber.  They last were down in Group II in 2010 but Slovenia, who was in World Group II as recently as 2012, has never been there before.

Americas Zonal Group I

Venezuela gave Paraguay a bit of a run in pool A behind the play of Paz but it was Gonzalez and Cepede Royg who got it done for the hosts to advance to the group final.  Brazil, however, would be a bridge to far.  Behind Pereira and Goncalves they didn't lose a rubber all week, shutting out Colombia's Duque Marino and Castano in the pivotal rubber.  Brazil advanced to the World Group Playoffs.

On the bad side, the Bahamas and Ecuador lost the relegation ties to Mexico and Venezuela.  Both those countries (BAH/ECU) were promoted from Group II just last year.

Asia/Pacific Zonal Group I

Talk about unexpected happenings in Kazakhstan, and the surprises came from the beginning when China dropped their opening tie to Uzbekistan.  The Uzbeks, even playing without Amanmuradova, would go on to win the pool.  In the other pool, the Thais stunned the host Kazakhs with Kumkhum defeating Shvedova in 3 sets and then teaming with Tanasugarn to win the doubles over Shvedova/Voskoboeva.  Kumkhum's 1-2 punch in singles and doubles would again be decisive against the Uzbeks and Thailand qualifies for the World Group II playoffs.

Indonesia was relegated to Group II, dropping the relegation tie to Taiwan.  They make an immediate return to that level and seem to be alternating between Groups I and II each year.

So look at the list of countries qualifying for the World Group II playoffs from the zones:  Romania, Netherlands, Brazil, Thailand.  One of these in not like the others, so the draw looms critical for countries such as Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Japan.

Asia/Pacific Zonal Group II

Surprises continue in Kazakhstan.  India got great play from 19-yr-old no. 404 Thombare and India beat New Zealand, Mirza/Thombare defeating Erakovic/Guthrie in the doubles.  But Mirza didn't doubles in the group semis against Hong Kong and the Indians lost.  So Hong Kong defeated Philippines (def. Turkmenistan in the semis) in the group final and is promoted to Group I.  Both New Zealand and India remain in Group II.

Hong Kong, who lost to the group final the last 3 years, finally returns to Group I, where they last competed in 2008.

Europe/Africa Zonal Group III

So Wozniacki didn't show up after all, and neither did Daniilidou, which left proceedings simply a formality for Kanepi, Kontaveit, and Estonia.  The pair combined to drop only 7 games in 6 singles rubbers, including 2 double bagels in ties against Armenia, Namibia, and Denmark.  But there was a second team to be promoted to Group II.  Greece, even without their top player, managed to get out of their pool, but then stumbled to the Irish in the promotion tie.

Estonia makes an immediate return to Group II but Ireland hasn't played there since 2008.