2016 ITF Fed Cup: Discussion Thread. (6th Feb-13th Nov)

Which team will win?

  • Czech Republic

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Romania

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Swiss Confederation

    Votes: 1 50.0%

  • Federal Republic of Germany

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Italian Republic

    Votes: 1 50.0%

  • French Republic

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Netherlands

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Russian Federation

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    2
  • Poll closed .
Is Madison hurt? Why else would she get benched otherwise after her relatively easy straight sets win yesterday?
 
Stosur must be a nightmare to coach. Her cramped up strokes on every shot make it hard for her to be consistent.
 
Apparently her coach David Taylor doesn't believe in the WTA's rule of on court coaching. So he doesn't coach her on court. Kinda explains a little bit about why she doesn't tend to turn matches around. He's still a great coach. He coached Stosur to her US Open title. they parted ways in 2013 but reunited in 2015 and she won 2 international titles last year. Hope she turns around from this bad weekend and had a decent year.
 
Haven't had opportunity to watch, but Golubic must be playing out of her mind. Single-handedly keeping Switzerland in the tie. Things aren't looking good in the doubles though :(
 
Yeah, major props to both Golubic & Bertens this weekend.


Also, Belarus advanced over a gutted Russia squad, & Germany gets through Romania.
 
Bertens is like 15-1 in fed cup singles haha...

Looking at it though, she's also had a pretty strong start to the year on tour, though a ton of her victories were in qualifiers.
 
Saw the USA/Australia highlights. Poor Sam. She looks gutted. Now they are showing the replay. The look on Sam's face before she even walks on the court.l :( She carries such a burden those big hunky shoulders.

Coco has so much swagger, she cracks me up. I might watch some of this...it's hard when you already know the outcome.

It's nice to see team USA back in group I, and for the right reason, too: they are developing a strong team with a deep bench that can determine their own destiny, not just dependent on one or two stars who may or may not show up. Nice to see the younger talent improving. I like Mary Jo as the captain.

Also, nice big arena for this event, but team USA's venue was much better in February :cool:
 
Anyone see the bizarre score line for Niculescu v Petkovic?
Petko got bagelled in the first, the second set went to a tiebreak, the third set had like 6 breaks of serve. Petko ended up winning the 3rd 6-3. Crazy stuff..
 
Vanhool said:
Saw the USA/Australia highlights. Poor Sam. She looks gutted. Now they are showing the replay. The look on Sam's face before she even walks on the court.l :( She carries such a burden those big hunky shoulders.

Coco has so much swagger, she cracks me up. I might watch some of this...it's hard when you already know the outcome.

It's nice to see team USA back in group I, and for the right reason, too: they are developing a strong team with a deep bench that can determine their own destiny, not just dependent on one or two stars who may or may not show up. Nice to see the younger talent improving. I like Mary Jo as the captain.

Also, nice big arena for this event, but team USA's venue was much better in February :cool:
Click to expand...

Argh. If you choose to watch it, be prepared to be uncomfortable. Oh, Sam... It's like she forgot she's a goddamn U.S. Open Champion - and she did it by taking out the queen in the finals! Rather than get in a rut thinking she isn't living up to her reputation/abilities, she needs to recall how she felt during that match - because she had nerves of steel during that match and played fearlessly. It's always easier being the underdog though.... she doesn't have that luxury anymore. I can't imagine the pressure she feels, but her face tells us it's overwhelming. Exceeding expectations is exhilirating; failing them is devastating...

On the opposite spectrum is Coco. You're right- she's got a fierce swagger. She peacocks around the court when it's her serve. I love it. Even when she's losing, it still conveys confidence- she's like a puffer fish.
 
And she needs a new coach.

Sam Stosur is on the hunt for a new coach after agreeing to end her long and successful partnership with David Taylor following next month's French Open.

Taylor, who has a young family and lives in Europe for much of the year, says logistically it was becoming more and more difficult to continue working with the mostly US-based former grand slam champion.

"I absolutely loved all the hard work with Sam and she thoroughly deserves everything that she's achieved so far in her career," Taylor told AAP on Monday.

The pair worked together for a total of eight years, with Taylor transforming Stosur from a multiple grand slam doubles winner to US Open singles champion in 2011 when she famously upset Serena Williams in the final.

"It's been a very rewarding job to be given the opportunity to coach a player who possessed so much raw ability but, till that point, had been frustrated at not being able to put her game together," Taylor said.

"It's unusual for a player in their mid-20s who had not been near the top of the game to realise all the improvements necessary to become a regular top-10 player and beat the greatest player of all time in a grand slam final."

A former mentor of world No.1s Martina Hingis and Ana Ivanovic, Taylor also guided Alicia Molik to the top 10 before linking with Stosur after the Queenslander's brush with debilitating Lyme's Disease in 2006.

In her first major singles breakthrough, Stosur reached the French Open semi-finals in 2009 and then the final the following year before reigning in New York and soaring to a career-best ranking of No.4 in the world.

Stosur split with Taylor on the eve of Wimbledon in 2013 but, after stints with Simon Rea and Miles Maclagan, reunited with Taylor with instant success before last year's French Open.

She won a title in Strasbourg in their second tournament back together, then another in Bad Gastein to regain her place in the top 25, having earlier wrestled with retirement.

Taylor insists Stosur's two Fed Cup losses in Brisbane over the weekend had nothing to do with their decision to soon part ways, saying they made the call in January.

"It's all very amicable and I'm even working with her at finding a suitable replacement, which she hasn't finalised yet," Taylor said.

"I know Sam has still got some great tennis left inside her and she continues to work harder than anyone."
Click to expand...
 
disgruntledamsel said:
Argh. If you choose to watch it, be prepared to be uncomfortable. Oh, Sam... It's like she forgot she's a goddamn U.S. Open Champion - and she did it by taking out the queen in the finals! Rather than get in a rut thinking she isn't living up to her reputation/abilities, she needs to recall how she felt during that match - because she had nerves of steel during that match and played fearlessly. It's always easier being the underdog though.... she doesn't have that luxury anymore. I can't imagine the pressure she feels, but her face tells us it's overwhelming. Exceeding expectations is exhilirating; failing them is devastating...

On the opposite spectrum is Coco. You're right- she's got a fierce swagger. She peacocks around the court when it's her serve. I love it. Even when she's losing, it still conveys confidence- she's like a puffer fish.
Click to expand...
Haha, so true!

Right as I sat down to watch I got a phone call which led to hours of online fantasy vacation planning....haven't watched it yet. It's recorded though, so maybe with my dinner :)
 
Czechs should kick some ass! Amazing the French team made the finals. They don't look that great on paper. Watch them win the whole thing lol.
 
ScentOfDefeat said:
Hoping for a good RG for Bertens. She's really good on clay.
Click to expand...

Ahahah! What an accurate assessment and prediction... Let's hope you're only right about tennis though.

I'll probably be rooting for the Czechs. They seem to have a balanced and interesting team. Besides that, Cornet can be really annoying with all the drama she creates at times.
 
Vanhool said:
I wonder why safarova isnt playing
Click to expand...

I only noticed that now. Shame on me. --'
Kvitova and Pliskova are the safe choices to play singles considering their current form, but Safarova won the bronze medal at the Olympics with Strycova just this year and may be a better doubles player than Hradecka at the moment. Maybe she has some lingering issues and they thought it would be wiser to not submit her to an extra effort?
 
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