Translated material
A match with political overtones
In the US-Russia FedCup semifinals, sports took a backseat
The upcoming semi-final match of the Fed Cup between the national teams of Russia and the USA on July 14-15 was in the center of attention of the world press even before the start. In the entire 45-year history of the unofficial women's team world championship, the current meeting, like no other, received scandalous overtones, finding itself under the political radar. The reason for this was the refusal of the US authorities to timely issue an American visa to the captain of the Russian national team, Shamil Tarpishchev. As a result, the preparation of the Russian tennis players, who have been in the USA for a week, was actually disrupted.On Tuesday, the coach of the women's team, Alexander Volkov, flew to the American city of Stowe, where the semi-finals will be held this weekend. It is he who will prepare Russian tennis players for the match. Shamil Tarpishchev, whose trip to the United States, even if a visa is issued, no longer makes any sense, will help the mentor of the Russian team from Moscow by phone. The meeting will take place at the city stadium, which seats 4,100 spectators. The owners chose “hard” as a covering – synthetic “Decoturf”. Two-day tickets range from $35 to $225.
The US team was considered the favorite for the upcoming semi-final. And not only because before this match the Americans were leading the score in mutual matches with the USSR and Russian national teams - 4:2. Objectively, the composition of the hostesses, taking into account the recent changes in the camp of the Russian team, was stronger than that of the Russians. The American side fielded a strong quartet for the match: the Williams sisters Serena and Venus, who had just won Wimbledon for the fourth time, Lisa Raymond, the second doubles racket in the world, and tournament debutant 18-year-old Vanya King.
A few weeks before the start of the game, the Williams sisters said that the Fed Cup was a special tournament and they were eager to win this meeting, delighting the American public. In the Russian team, significant changes occurred at the very last moment. Maria Sharapova's place was taken by 19-year-old Alla Kudryavtseva, who, according to Tarpishchev, looked good at Wimbledon in the match against Serena Williams. And although the victory went to the American, Kudryavtseva established herself “as a real fighter.”
Kudryavtseva’s company included the previously announced Anna Chakvetadze (eighth racket of the world), Nadezhda Petrova (ninth) and Elena Vesnina (58th). By the way, initially the name of Svetlana Kuznetsova was also included in the Russian four. However, a shoulder injury received at Wimbledon did not allow the athlete to compete in the USA. Kuznetsova is currently undergoing examination in Spain. Sharapova suffers from a similar shoulder problem. The other day she explained that she was recovering, but the doctors prescribed her a gentle training schedule, as a result of which she decided to follow the progress of the meeting from the spectator stand.
It can be assumed that the role of soloists in our team will be assigned to the more experienced Anna Chakvetadze and Nadezhda Petrova. They will be facing off against the Williams sisters, as Raymond and King are doubles players. The count of personal meetings eloquently testifies in favor of the housewives. Petrova is inferior to Serena Williams - 1:6. The only time a Muscovite could beat the youngest of the sisters was in 2004 at a tournament in Amelia Island. The eldest defeated Petrova three times. The last meeting between two tennis players dates back to 2003 at Wimbledon. Chakvetadze lost only once to Venus Williams, in 2005. This was the only fight between a Russian and an American. Chakvetadze and Serena have never crossed paths before.
However, it is not a fact that Serena Williams will take the court in this semi-final. Agence France-Presse has reported that due to a left hand injury sustained at Wimbledon, Serena Williams will miss the tournament in Cincinnati and, possibly, the Fed Cup. According to foreign experts, if Serena withdraws from the semifinals, then the Russians’ chances increase by 60%, since the American is the informal leader of the team and without her the team simply loses its helmsman.
However, one should not discount the atmosphere of the upcoming competition. Without a doubt, the political topic will push into the background the main one - the sports component. Journalists are already attacking the Russians with questions about their captain, which does not give the athletes peace of mind.
In the other semi-final, which will be held in the town of Castellaneta Marina, the teams of Italy and France will compete. The intrigue of this match will be fueled by the fact that one of the participants in this confrontation will be the current owner of this trophy - the Italian team. The Italian quartet includes Francesca Schiavone, Maara Santangelo, Roberta Vinci and Tatiana Garbin. The French team includes Amelie Mauresmo, Tatyana Golovin, Severine Bremont, Nathalie Dechy. Sensational Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli is missing from the tricolor lineup. By the way, the last time the French women won the Fed Cup was in 2003, the Russian women became champions of the tournament for two years in a row - in 2004 and 2005, and the American women celebrated their victory for the last time in 2000. In the 1999 FedCup finals, which took place in Stanford, they beat the Russians with a score of 4:1.