Fed Cup: Slightly Unconvincing

Bless the Belgian Fed Cup team. One big happy family …

… that like most families, slightly hates each other:

Fed Cup Play-offs: Results

Belgium 3 – 2 Estonia

R1 – K.CLIJSTERS (BEL) def. M.ANI (EST)
6-4  6-2
R2 – Y.WICKMAYER (BEL) def. K.KANEPI (EST)
6-2  4-6  6-1
R3 – K.KANEPI (EST) def. J.HENIN (BEL)
6-7(6)  6-4  6-3
R4 – Y.WICKMAYER (BEL) def. M.ANI (EST)
2-6  6-1  6-1
R5 – M.ANI / M.RUUTEL (EST) def. K.FLIPKENS / Y.WICKMAYER (BEL)
2-6  6-4  6-3

Ukraine 0 – 5 Australia

R1 – A.RODIONOVA (AUS) def. A.BONDARENKO (UKR)
0-6  6-3  7-5
R2 – S.STOSUR (AUS) def. M.KORYTTSEVA (UKR)
6-3  6-0
R3 – S.STOSUR (AUS) def. L.KICHENOK (UKR)
7-6(4)  6-3
R4 – A.MOLIK (AUS) def. M.KORYTTSEVA (UKR)
2-6  6-2  7-5
R5 – R.STUBBS / A.RODIONOVA (AUS) def. L.KICHENOK / N.KICHENOK (UKR)
6-2  6-7(2)  6-1

Germany 2 – France 3

R1 – A.PETKOVIC (GER) def. P.PARMENTIER (FRA)
6-3  6-2
R2 – A.REZAI (FRA) def. T.MALEK (GER)
2-6  6-3  6-0
R3 – A.PETKOVIC (GER) def. A.REZAI (FRA)
6-1  7-6(2)
R4 – P.PARMENTIER (FRA) def. J.GOERGES (GER)
7-6(4)  6-4
R5 – J.COIN / A.CORNET (FRA) def. S.LISICKI / A.PETKOVIC (GER)
6-3  6-1

Serbia 2 – Slovakia 3

R1 – J.JANKOVIC (SRB) def. M.RYBARIKOVA (SVK)
7-6(5)  6-3
R2 – D.HANTUCHOVA (SVK) def. B.JOVANOVSKI (SRB)
6-2  6-2
R3 – D.HANTUCHOVA (SVK) def. J.JANKOVIC (SRB)
7-6(2)  7-5
R4 – B.JOVANOVSKI (SRB) def. M.RYBARIKOVA (SVK)
6-1  7-6(4)
R5 – D.HANTUCHOVA / M.RYBARIKOVA (SVK) def. J.JANKOVIC / B.JOVANOVSKI (SRB)
6-4  6-3

Fed Cup Sunday: World Group II

So spare a thought for those ladies representing nations just outside the World Group and who spent this weekend battling to get back in – or at least a chance to play one of the World Group proper nations who lost this weekend to get back in. Clear? Good.

Australia 3 – Spain 2

After Sam Stosur took both her singles rubbers but neither Alicia Molik nor Casey Dellacqua could manage one between them, it came down to a live doubles rubber to decide the tie. Which is, as we all know, where scary Stubbsy lives and breathes. They won 6-4, 6-2.

Cute … although does anyone else think that Rennae is quite possibly the reason that Sam always looks ever-so-slightly scared?

Seriously want to go for a beer with this lot.

Poland 2 – Belgium 3

I said this match was one to look forward to. And I love being right. Wicky won it in the end, 16 76(6) 75, saving two match points to do it, but it was a proper epic contest. Radwanska was playing as well as I’ve ever seen her (and it’s good to be reminded just how well she can play when she wants to), but Yanina found her feet just enough in the second set to start causing Radwanska real problems, and the Pole was in the end powerless to figure out just how to deconstruct Wicky’s game when she was playing it with that much heart. Great stuff from them both but a truly courageous win for Yanina. I wonder if the ITF know exactly what they’ve created yet?

The tie, you would have thought, remained well within Poland’s reach, but Kirsten Flipkens had other ideas. She took down Marta Domachowska 63 76(6) to seal the tie for Belgium and put them within reach of the World Group in 2011.

Kim and Justine who?

Slovak Republic 3 – China 2

Didn’t watch a hit of this one, I’m afraid. All I know is that it ended the way it was kind of bound to, with no Li Na or Zheng Jie. And that Dominika Cibulkova’s on her way back.

And that Dani’s hair looks seriously silly.

Estonia 4 – Argentina 1

Where the hell was Gisela Dulko?