I hope he stays with Nastya. I thought she would win today and then when play started, Barbara Rittner was very charged. Nastya was trying for the comeback and I thought again she would win. She was probably nervous too.
It is still looking OK, Alyona will win, I have a faith in her. And then, I think, They will play Nastya again. And if, God forbid, the doubles will be a decisive match, it will be Likhovtseva/Dementieva team, I think there is no question about it.
I don`t think Nastya will have any problem against Muller. The young German didn`t impress yesterday at all, Alyona won despite many mistakes she had made. I have more doubts about Alyona today. But I hope she will win anyway
The Russian girls spectacularly crumble once again!
I don't know why, but they just lost it completely.
3-2 to the Germans.
Elena D lost in an amazingly hopeless style 6-3 6-1 against Rittner.
Myskina won a thrilling match 7-6 6-7 11-9 against Mueller.
So, its 2-2 going into the deciding match.
Elena D/Likhotseva against Rittner/Weingartner.
The Russians lost 7-6 6-2.
Why put Dementieva in the doubles? Likhotseva and Bovina are (I think) better doubles players. Or maybe Dementieva/Likhotseva is a better doubles team?
Maybe the pressure of being overwhelming favourites got to the girls? We've seen it before, when one of the Russian girls has been fave or leading a match that they should close-out with no real problem, they have crumbled under the pressure.
I once heard a commentator say that Dementieva doesn't play well when she's in front. That she likes to come from behind. I think this is a HUGE problem, because you have to actually BE IN FRONT to win the match. Somethimes, she has no trouble. But other times, she is a nervous wreck. I think Myskina played brilliantly to pull out that amazing 3 set victory!!!!!!
But I think both girls were too exausted (physically AND mentally) to win the doubles against an in-form Rittner with the confidence boost of having just beaten both of the Russian girls, and Weingartner who hadn't played yet and so she had fresh legs and mind.
Myskina played doubles? I thought it was Likhovtseva. Likhovtseva was there to play doubles. Not singles. And Cassius, you're telling me Likhovtseva didn't play the doubles? She's the best Russian doubles player. Something is wrong with the team and captain. They don't have any good chemistry. That's for sure. What a choke job!
Dementieva's career continues to go backwards! Wake up Elena! Before it's too late.
Patriotically, I wanted us to win, but surprisingly, I took this loss very easy. Probably, first of all, because we have no chance to win it this year. We have not a single player whose form would be solid and predictable. Dementieva doesn't seem to know what she wants from tennis. Myskina doesn't seem to make her mind whether she wants to play good matches or win good matches. Likhovtseva is in terrible slump both in singles and doubles. Ditto Bovina. Panova is having good tournament one week and first round losses in another, and you never know what will come next. Anna is in trouble. Lina and Nadya are injured. Let them first get their careers aback on track and then we'll think about Cups.
I took the loss close cause in fact we HAD a good chance to win it. With the US team out, with Kim Clijsters probably moving to Australia, we had a real chance.
This yr was going to be one of best chances to win with US out of way.
Belgium are only a two girl team if anything happens to one of them then the two singles matches would go against them increasing pressure on the remaining one.
nevermind we can hope for same again next yr but we will have a much stronger squad
Eggy, next year Russia will have a much stronger squad? How? Who? Didn't you thinkthat this year?
Russia needs to take a pass on consistent underachievers, and look to the future with their young players. The group led by Elena Dementieva has proven they can't win tournaments or the Fed Cup. It's time to look to the future with hope. And the future is Maria Sharapova, Dinara Safina, Vera Douchevina and Svetlana Kuznetsova. The future is now, Eggy! Dementieva, Myskina, Likhovtseva and Bovina have proven they can't win on the WTA tour. It's time to move forward. Otherwise you will certainly go backwards!
cat, i still have hope for the girls, you just need a little luck in matches
Lina was well further advanced than any of the girls mentioned there, she's still the best product from Russia.
in 98 our Russian team of Panova (100ish) and Makraova defeated the Germans 4-1 in Moscow who had Huber/Glass, they only won doubles at end.
Sveta has disappointed in last few events and the way she has lost on her fav clay surface
missed Vera Zvonareva out and she is certainly coming to grips with the tour.
They'll bounce back. Anna will be back in Top 20, and Alyona will get her motivation back. As Dementieva once said, Russian girls are a strange group, tey often win together, they often lose together.
Sorry about saying Myskina played in the doubles . My teletext said Dementieva/Myskina, so, naturally I thought it was. I have now corrected the error.
All it needs is for Dementieva or Kournikova to win a title and then the other girls will follow suit.
If Dementieva wins it will inspire confidence because I think the younger, more inexperienced girls see her as a kind of talisman. If she does well, they usually do well also.
If Kournikova wins, I think it will spur Dementieva on because Elena has said that Kournikova is not part of the group, and I think she'd love to put one over on the 'glamour-girl'.
I agree with EGGY. I think Lina (if she is fit) has the best chance of any of the Russian girls to win a tournament. I just hope she doesn't 'do an Elena'. Or (even worse) 'do an Anna'.
Does anyone know if there is a FED Cup website?
Or where theres a website where I can find pics?
There are some really good photos to see of Elena Dementieva, Anastasia Myskina, and Elena Bovina from Fed Cup 2002 at a site you may have visited before. None of Elena L. but from other tournaments. I don't think I have ever seen Elena D.'s whole face before since she always wears her visor or is turned sideways.
Click on Picture Database (public), which is third block on left, then click on the second choice in the center 'picture database without indexes (faster)' and they will give you a list of players on the left side to choose from. Very easy to get to.