The Fed Cup semifinal round was expected to be a straightforward affair. On paper the Czech Republic and defending champion Russia were heavily favored to advance to the championship round.
But apparently Italy and the United States failed to get the memo.
In one of the most momentous Fed Cup by BNP Paribas semifinals in recent years, the Italians and Americans staged a coup by ousting their more experienced opponents. Italy deserves big accolades for scoring a hefty dose of revenge against the nation who beat them in the 2007 final.
Team USA’s Mary Joe Fernandez, who was captaining only her second tie, brought an inexperienced squad to Brno after they barely scraped through to the semifinals by narrowly beating Argentina in the first round. Once again, Mary Joe found that America’s all-stars Venus and Serena Williams had other plans for the otherwise empty week on the tennis calendar.
None deterred, Fernandez named an unlikely group of players helmed by fashionista and Top 40 player Bethanie Mattek and co-ranked No. 1 doubles star Liezel Huber. But to support these two players, Fernandez selected two relative newcomers, No. 114 Alexa Glatch and the hero of the Surprise, Arizona tie, No. 143 Melanie Oudin.
No one expected two players outside the top 100 to lead their team to the Fed Cup final, but that is exactly what Oudin and Glatch have done this season.
But this newfound success has sparked a new dilemma for Mary Joe Fernandez. The USA is in the Fed Cup final for the first time since 2003. Her recent predecessor Zina Garrison never made it this far as the last American to captain a team in the final was Billie Jean King.
Although the final is months away, Fernandez has already announced that she plans to phone her old WTA Tour mates Venus and Serena Williams. “Venus and Serena are the best players in America and basically the whole world so hopefully they can play,” Fernandez said after this weekend’s tie. “You have to pick your best team so I’ll be calling them and getting them ready.”
Should this even be an option given their apparent lack of interest? Is Fernandez planning to call in the cavalry after the foot soldiers have proven that they can win the battle?
Ever since the semifinals ended, I’ve been thinking about the situation. I believe Oudin, Glatch, and even Mattek deserves a shot at the title. Huber, in my mind, is safe and guaranteed a spot if she wants it based upon her level of commitment and the fact that she is one of the best doubles players on the planet. But if Venus and Serena both answer Fernandez’s call, the other three could get a Fed Cup pink slip in their lockers.
While thinking about this dilemma, I asked for feedback on Twitter from some of OTB’s followers. Responses varied, but I was surprised that most people who replied felt the same way I did on the subject.
As coach, Fernandez has a responsibility to name her best squad. But are Venus and Serena Williams really America’s best on clay for Fed Cup? I beg to differ. In this year’s Fed Cup competition thus far without the Williams sisters, Team USA has managed to beat not one, but two of the best nations in the world.
As the host nation, Italy is expected to pick clay as the tie surface. That would immediately put the USA team at a disadvantage as female American clay court specialists are a rare breed. Francesca Schiavone is likely to be one of Italy’s singles players, and although Schiavone struggles routinely in Tour competition, Fed Cup brings out her best tennis.
It has been a year since we have seen Venus or Serena sliding on European clay, but before that it was not too memorable. It has been seven long years since Serena won her lone title at Roland Garros, and she has not even appeared in the semifinal round of Paris since 2003. Venus, on the other hand, does her best work across the English Channel. Her power game is not suited for the clay surface and if I had to pick between Venus beating Schiavone or Flavia Pennetta, I would tap an Italian.
Plus, there is the delicate matter of the Williams sisters loyalty to Fed Cup. They are quick to remind us that they enjoy playing for their country when they are healthy and it works out with their schedules, but in the past ten years, Serena has played four of the USA’s twenty-three Fed Cup ties. Venus’ record is somewhat more promising with eight, but these are certainly not the records of two dedicated participants. Fed Cup is a team experience—-and the Williams sisters have proven that they are not dependable team players.
It might all boil down to just how much persuasion Mary Joe Fernandez has up her sleeve. Statistically, it does not look too hopeful as the last two times the USA reached the final, Venus and Serena were absent from the competition.
All eyes should be on America’s women over the next six weeks of clay competition. Venus and Serena Williams need to earn their berths in the Fed Cup final. They’ve already missed their chances to prove that in Fed Cup this year, but they can redeem themselves by delivering the goods in Rome, Madrid or Paris.
But if Oudin, Mattek or Glatch proves that they can compete against the world’s best on clay, they deserve a chance to see this competition through to the finish, regardless of any star power that might be missing from the bench in November.
I think it’s worth a phone call to see if either or both of the Williams sisters are willing/able to play. If they say no, then Mary Joe has other players that can do the job. Yes, I agree that the results from the clay court season will be a good indicator of who’s better equipped to do the job on that surface.
Given that the Fed Cup final comes right at the end of the season (Nov. 2 – after the SE Championships) I’m not sure that Venus/Serena will be willing take this on, but…it could happen.
Paula,
I agree that the schedule is likely to discourage Venus and Serena, just as much as the likely surface. By November, most of the top players are ready to wrap things up for the year, especially if they have qualified for the season-ending Championships.
I think it’s terribly wrong to even consider the Williams sisters. I remember an old saying – “You dance with the guy that brung ya” – If Venus and Serena weren’t interested when first invited, then so be it – Let the players that brought us this far continue, they’ve earned that right.
I don’t believe that players who sit out the early rounds of the Fed Cup should be allowed to just waltz in and play the final. It’s not fair on the girls who got the team there.
It is up to Captain Fernandez to determine who should be asked to play in the final. Having said that, I would much prefer to see Mattek-Sands and either Oudin or Glatch (depending on the surface) play.
Good quote, Fundi!
Aaress I totally agree with you. It was great win for team USA and the players that got them there should play in final in I mean the earlier rounds as well. i think this debate is a dead point as it’s in November and I don’t think the Williams sisters will commit anyway.
I don’t think they should play, in fact , I hope they don’t. I don’t even like Fed Cup, time to change direction, I think. It will never take off. Kind a like Billie Jean Kings, whatever it is she started, there is no interest, sorry. Look at the William’s Sister’s like Madonna. They don’t do small, they make money, and they give us some **** good tennis. I don’t want to see my Golden Girls in the Bronze World. That’s my opinion.
i think the attitude of vee and rena is an answer to what usta had done to zina garrison…i remember rena and vee played for fed cup only because zina had asked them to do…this is their way of getting revenge to usta to what they and zina believed was a conduct of racism by usta…
but in this case, the usta had proven vindicated by the replacement of zina by mary joe…
im a williams fan, and i get the facts, and im also fazed by why vee and rena chose not to play for fed cup in the czech rep…maybe vee is practicing more, because she lost early in charleston and to prepare for the clay season, and rena she’s busy preparing for her hsn collection…
but congratulations to glatch the hero of the recent fed cup and oudin the hero in arizona…lisa too deserves the win…and for bethanie, though she had a disappoint in her first two fed cup ties, she proves she can play better and deserved the win…
but if the finals is in clay, i believe the italians are the fave to win…but for mary joe to had a chance at clay in italy she had to choose vee, and rena for the tie, accompanied by glatch and oudin, and lisa…vee had won over penetta in acapulco, serena ahd to show substantial results in red clay too, but she’s proven that she can play better in clay last year, won charleston, quarters in berlin and semis in rome,,, oudin and glatch had proven themselves capable too…..bright young tennis stars had to start somewhere…and lisa is a proven doubles player on any surface, though her last clay title was way back in 2004…….
but with mary joe now the captain of the us fed cup, i know mary joe can do it,,,i think she had a good relationship with the williams sister, not unlike the other mary….
last hope: vee and rena will play in the finals
The only thing that might push Serena Williams into playing Fed Cup in November is if the ranking points could potentially push her back into the No. 1 position. But, anything could happen between now and November.
I am a HUGE williams sisters fans, but yes, they should not be invited to play the final. The girls that took the USA there should be given the well deserved opportunity to play in the grand finale win or lose, even if the Williams sisters win all the titles on clay. I don’t know why Venus and Serena do not play fed cup, but whatever their reasons, it’s their choice and they should not be questioned about their choices – as an unbelievable amount of people are wont to do – because it is not our place. Even if Fernandez should invite them they should decline, because it will be a lose/lose situation. They play and everyone is going to have something negative to say like how they only play for glory or only play after everyone has done all the work. They don’t play and if USA should win, then everyone’s going to say “see, we don’t need the Williams sisters” and if USA doesn’t win, they’ll still say “We made it to the final, but they still couldn’t play for their country” or something negative. Everyone is entitled to their opinions about players, but it seems the sisters always seem to get an unbelievable amount of scrutiny for every choice or misstep they make (at least that’s my take on it). For the fed cup team, for Fenandez’ sake, as well as the sisters’ sake, the present team should go to the final sans the Williams sisters.
Hey Aaress! I think this is the best story I’ve ever seen on OTB—even better than the ones I’ve written! : )
I’m so glad you wrote this, and I have to tell you, I really, really hope that neither one of them are asked to play. Sure, either Williams sister can take out anyone of the players that were on the U.S. squad for the early rounds, but you have to reward the players that got you to the spot you’re in.
Again, awesome article!
Chidi, thanks for the thoughtful comment. I do think the Williams sisters get most of the spotlight because they ARE the spotlight for women’s tennis in the United States. Either way, whether they play or skip the tie, they will face a lot of scrutiny just because they are America’s most famous female athletes.
Van, thanks for the compliment! I really appreciate it. Hope you are doing well!
i think, the williams sisters’ indifference to fed cup is due to the fact they don’t feel beholden to USTA the way girls of other nationalities are to their respective state federations
I don’t think venus and serena owes the USTA anything, they didn’t get much support from them when they started. And they are bigger than the USTA itself. And the US fed team is weak if it wasn’t for glatch and Huber they would have lost. glatch won all of her fed cup matches so for a fed cup team i am going to go with glatch, huber, serena and venus.