| |
It Just Had To Be
Alix Ramsay | November
28 , 2004
It just had to be. After
a year in which the Russian women had taken the grand slam
circuit by storm (three out of four major championships is
a decent enough result for any nation), they rounded off their
spectacular season by beating France to claim their first
Fed Cup victory. Better still, they did it in Moscow where
the vodka will be flowing (even if half the team is too young
to drink it) and the celebrations will continue long into
the night. They know how to throw a party, these Russians.
In the end it came down to the doubles, the last and deciding
rubber. With less than a gnat's whisker between the sides
as the final wore on, it was left to Anastasia Myskina, a
late replacement for Elena Likhovtseva, and Vera Zvonareva
to make the difference. Over the course of 2hrs 13mins, they
battled and fought to secure a 7-6, 7-5 win over Emilie Loit
and Marion Bartoli. The Fed Cup was Russia's, 3-2, and it
was the first time in six years that the final had been so
close.
France, the defending champions, had just about got their
noses in front on Saturday when Nathalie Dechy came back from
a set down to oust Svetlana Kuznetsova 3-6, 7-6, 8-6. It was
an impressive win but it was not long before the sense of
optimism in the French camp was dampened.
As Myskina, the French Open champion, eyed up Tatiana Golovin,
the 16-year-old who was born in Russia but has been adopted
by France as one of their own, she was not going to let the
youngster steal the limelight. Golovin may like to reveal
her assets with her alarmingly skimpy outfits, but Myskina
was planning to show up her deficiencies as well. And sure
enough Myskina did just that to win 6-4, 7-6.
But Golovin is not just a teenage glamour queen. She can play
a bit, too, and she is a ferocious competitor. Having watched
Dechy fall 6-3, 6-4 to Myskina on Sunday (giving Russia a
2-1 lead and putting them within touching distance of the
title), French hopes depended on the young debutante and she
rose to the occasion. Taking on the power and experience of
Kuznetsova, Golovin walloped her elder and supposed better,
6-4, 6-1. With the tie neatly balanced at 2-2, Golovin had
done her bit and now it was down to the doubles.
From the very start, the final was not without its troubles
and both teams had had their problems before they started.
Rather than waste unnecessary energy by whipping up a healthy
loathing for the opposition, both Russia and France had opted,
instead, for a spot of internal strife.
The Russian squad was up in arms at the thought that Maria
Sharapova - and more importantly, her father, Yuri - would
be brought into the Fed Cup fold next year. Russia's captain,
Shamil Tarpischev (who, as a master of multi-tasking, is also
the Davis Cup captain and president of the Russian Tennis
Federation) was all for the idea of adding a Wimbledon champion
to the champions of Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows already
in his line-up. Alas, he was alone in thinking this would
be a good idea.
Anastasia Myskina was livid when presented with the prospect
of Team Sharapova taking part in the Fed Cup in 2005. Threatening
to throw down their rackets if the Wimbledon champion was
invited on to the team, she spat fire. During her showdown
with Sharapova at the end-of-year championships, Yuri Sharapova
had been yelling instructions from the sidelines - and Myskina
was having none of that.
"He was just yelling and screaming instructions to her,"
she said of Yuri's behavior, "and I thought he just might
jump right on the court at one point in the match."
Larisa Neiland, the coach to Russia's squad, was of the same
opinion. Bringing Sharapova on to the team was one thing but
dealing with her father was another matter entirely.
"Maria's main problem is her father and I just don't
see how he would coexist with other girls' parents and team
officials," Neiland said. "He basically tells everyone
'to get lost'. You can't just go by rankings alone in selecting
the team. You need great team spirit, togetherness in order
to make a really strong squad."
Meanwhile, Guy Forget was dealing with the egos of his squad,
too. When Amelie Mauresmo won the final rubber for France
in the final last year, and so defeated the United States,
she raced across to jump into the arms of her grateful captain.
It was, she thought, the greatest moment of her career. Twelve
months on and she had changed her mind.
Pulling out of the France team at the 11th hour, she claimed
that she was tired after a long season and her trip to the
WTA Tour Championships. Well, that was the official reason.
In truth, she was angry that the French Tennis Federation
had not mounted a more serious bid to bring the semi finals
and final back to France. Had the event been played on Mauresmo's
home soil, she would have been there in a heartbeat. Somehow,
Russia did not have the same appeal. Looking back on the result
from her home in France, she must be thinking she made the
right decision.
///
BACK |
|
