The draw for the opening round of the 2008 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas has been announced for the World Group and World Group II nations.
Live scoring for all World Group and World Group II ties is available on the Fed Cup website www.fedcup.com throughout the weekend.
Fed Cup by BNP Paribas is the largest annual international team competition in women’s sport, with 86 nations entered in 2008. The event was established in 1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the International Tennis Federation.
WORLD GROUP FIRST ROUND
ISRAEL v RUSSIA
Venue: Canada Stadium, Ramat Hasharon, Israel (hard – outdoors)
Shahar Peer (ISR) v Dinara Safina (RUS)
Tzipi Obziler (ISR) v Maria Sharapova (RUS)
Shahar Peer (ISR) v Maria Sharapova (RUS)
Tzipi Obziler (ISR) v Dinara Safina (RUS)
Tzipi Obziler/Shahar Peer (ISR) v Anna Chakvetadze/Elena Vesnina (RUS)
USA v GERMANY
Venue: La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, La Jolla, CA, USA (hard – outdoors)
USA
Lindsay Davenport
Laura Granville
Ashley Harkleroad
Lisa Raymond
Captain: Zina Garrison
Germany
Tatjana Malek
Julia Gorges
Sabine Lisicki
Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Captain: Barbara Rittner
CHINA, P.R. v FRANCE
Venue: Beijing International Tennis Centre, Beijing, China, P.R. (hard – indoors)
Na Li (CHN) v Alize Cornet (FRA)
Shuai Peng (CHN) v Virginie Razzano (FRA)
Na Li (CHN) v Virginie Razzano (FRA)
Shuai Peng (CHN) v Alize Cornet (FRA)
Zi Yan/Jie Zheng (CHN) v Nathalie Dechy/Virginie Razzano (FRA)
ITALY v SPAIN
Venue: PalaVesuvio, Naples, Italy (hard – indoors)
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) v Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)
Flavia Pennetta (ITA) v Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP)
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) v Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP)
Flavia Pennetta (ITA) v Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP)
Sara Errani/Tathiana Garbin (ITA) v Lourdes Dominguez-Lino/Carla Suarez-Navarro (ESP)
WORLD GROUP II FIRST ROUND
UKRAINE v BELGIUM
Venue: Palace of Sports “Lokomotiv”, Kharkov, Ukraine (clay – indoors)
Alona Bondarenko (UKR) v Kirsten Flipkens (BEL)
Katerina Bondarenko (UKR) v Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)
Alona Bondarenko (UKR) v Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)
Katerina Bondarenko (UKR) v Kirsten Flipkens (BEL)
Mariya Koryttseva/Tetyana Perebiynis (UKR) v Tamaryn Hendler/Caroline Maes (BEL)
JAPAN v CROATIA
Venue: Beans Dome, Mikishi, Japan (hard – indoors)
Akiko Morigami (JPN) v Nika Ozegovic (CRO)
Aiko Nakamura (JPN) v Jelena Kostanic Tosic (CRO)
Akiko Morigami (JPN) v Jelena Kostanic Tosic (CRO)
Aiko Nakamura (JPN) v Nika Ozegovic (CRO)
Rika Fujiwara/Ayumi Morita (JPN) v Jelena Kostanic Tosic/Ana Vrljic (CRO)
CZECH REPUBLIC v SLOVAK REPUBLIC
Venue: Brno Exhibition Centre, Brno, Czech Republic (carpet – indoors)
Petra Cetkovska (CZE) v Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) v Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK)
Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) v Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
Petra Cetkovska (CZE) v Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK)
Iveta Benesova/Kveta Peschke (CZE) v Dominika Cibulkova/Janette Husarova (SVK)
ARGENTINA v AUSTRIA
Venue: Estadio Parque Roca, Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay – outdoors)
Jorgelina Cravero (ARG) v Yvonne Meusberger (AUT)
Maria Emilia Salerni (ARG) v Melanie Klaffner (AUT)
Maria Emilia Salerni (ARG) v Yvonne Meusberger (AUT)
Jorgelina Cravero (ARG) v Melanie Klaffner (AUT)
Maria Irigoyen/Betina Jozami (ARG) v Patricia Mayr/Barbara Schwartz (AUT)
It was always going to be a tough tie for France whichever players took the court. In the long run it’s good that players like Cornet are getting a chance to experience Fed Cup.
Alice, do you know why Tatiana Golovin was not named to the team?