2013/05/24

Serena Williams Leads US Fed Cup Squad Back Into World Group

 

The United States is back in the World Group of Fed Cup thanks to 5-0 sweep of Ukraine on an outdoor red clay court at the Superior Golf and Spa Resort in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

After leading 2-0 after Day One, Serena Williams opened play on Sunday and clinched the tie with a 6-3, 6-2, win over Lesia Tsurenko.

“It is good. I feel really good about it,” said Williams. “Now we are back in the World Group, where we wanted to be and it feels really good to get two points and that way Christina does not have too much pressure out there like she did for me yesterday.”

The win gives Williams an 8-0 record in her Fed Cup singles career in live rubbers.

“It is good to have Mary Joe (Fernandez US Fed Cup Captain) out there. I told her at the beginning of the week, whatever you want to tell me, tell me. I am all ears, I am all open and I am open to any suggestions. I am out there to learn. I feel like I am a kid learning. I haven’t accomplished everything. It is good to have a coach and different eyes out there.”

 

In the dead rubber singles match, Christina McHale won her fourth consecutive live rubber match in Fed Cup defeating Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-3.

“I am really happy with how this week went practice-wise and how the matches went. We have a lot of fun, the whole team does, the whole time. It has been a great week [in Ukraine].” said McHale.

“That was our goal to get back into the World Group. I think we are all really excited about that. We have had two really good ties this year, and I am really pleased with how they went.”

 

In doubles, Liezel Huber teamed up with Sloane Stephens to defeat Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiya Kichenok 6-4, 6-1 in a dead rubber. The doubles match also marks the first tie Stephens has ever played in Fed Cup. She served as a practice partner during the 2012 World Group II First Round against Belarus and was a non-playing team member during the 2010 World Group Semifinal versus Russia. Stephens is now the 12th youngest player to make her Fed Cup debut for the U.S team at 19 years, 1 month.

 

DAY/LOCAL TIME     MATCH             PAIRING

Singles A:              Christina McHale (USA)  def. Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3

Singles B:             Serena Williams (USA) def.  Elina Svitolina (UKR) 6-2, 6-1

Singles C:            Serena Williams (USA) def. Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 6-3, 6-2

Singles D:             Christina McHale (USA) def. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 7-5. 6-3

Doubles:                Liezel Huber and Sloane Stephens (USA) def. Lyudmyla Kichenok

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US Takes 2-0 Lead over Ukraine on Day 1 of Fed Cup World Group Playoff

 

The US has taken a 2-0 lead on day one of the Fed Cup World Group Playoff against Ukraine on Saturday.  Christina McHale, who captured her third consecutive Fed Cup singles win lead off  the day beating Lesia Tsurenko, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.

“I started off well in the first set and then she started to pick up her game in the second,” McHale said. “In the third set I don’t think there was a turning point. It was pretty close going back and forth. I managed to hold my serve at 5-3, and I think I played a good game to close it out.”

 

“She came out really strong in the third,” said US Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez. “I discussed with her about focusing on the right things to make a good place for herself out there. When she does that, she’s really active with her footwork and becomes much more aggressive. She was able to do that right away and finish really strong. I was really pleased and proud of the way she closed out the third set.”

Serena Williams moved to 7-0 in Fed Cup singles play with by  defeating Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-1.

“I thought she played really well, ” Williams said of her opponent. “She has a good game. And she’s extremely young, so she has plenty of time for [her game] to be even better than what it is.”

 

Fernandez added: “It was a fantastic start by both Christina and Serena. They both really played their game. Christina did a good job to close out her match today. I thought Serena did a good job playing her first match on red clay. There were some bad bounces but [Serena] definitely made the adjustments, and really played aggressively. Both players did really well today.”

Williams is expected to open Day Two against Tsurenko, followed by the second singles match with McHale and Svitolina. In doubles, Liezel Huber and Sloane Stephens are scheduled to face sisters Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiya Kichenok.

 

Should the U.S. win tomorrow, it would regain its Fed Cup World Group status and have a chance to compete for the Fed Cup title in 2013.

 

DAY/LOCAL TIME     MATCH             PAIRING

Saturday, 11:30 a.m.      Singles A:              Christina McHale (USA)  def. Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3

Singles B:             Serena Williams (USA) def.  Elina Svitolina (UKR) 6-2, 6-1

Sunday, 11:00 a.m.         Singles C:             Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) vs. Serena Williams (USA)

Singles D:             Elina Svitolina (UKR) vs. Christina McHale (USA)

Doubles:                Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiya Kichenok (UKR) vs. Liezel Huber and Sloane Stephens (USA)

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US versus Ukraine in Fed Cup World Group Playoff this Weekend

The United States will face Ukraine in the 2012 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Playoffs. The official draw took place today to determine the order of play in the best-of-five match series. Below is a preview of this weekend’s match-up including the order of play and quotes following the draw.

 

Tennis Channel will present daily coverage beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday and 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.

 

 

United States vs. Ukraine

Fed Cup by BNP Paribas 2012 World Group Playoff

Superior Golf & Spa Resort

Kharkiv, Ukraine * April 21-22

 

The United States will look to regain its Fed Cup World Group status for 2013 when it faces Ukraine at the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Playoff.  Play begins Saturday, April 21, at 11:30 a.m. local time on an outdoor clay court at the Superior Golf & Spa Resort in Kharkiv, Ukraine.  This is the first-ever meeting between these two nations in Fed Cup.

 

This will mark just the fourth time in Fed Cup history that the U.S. will compete in the World Group Playoff, and the U.S. is 2-1 in those ties.  The U.S. beat Japan 5-0 in 1997 in Chestnut Hill, Mass., and beat Israel 5-0 in 2002 in Springfield, Mo., before losing to Germany 5-0 in 2011 in Stuttgart.  Ukraine is 2-4 in six World Group Playoff ties since it began competing in Fed Cup in 1993, but won its last two Playoff ties, and will be seeking to begin 2013 in the World Group for the second consecutive year and third time overall.

 

The U.S. team will include Serena Williams, who will be joined by young Americans Christina McHale, Sloane Stephens, the daughter of the late New England Patriots running back John Stephens, and world No. 1 doubles player Liezel Huber. Jamie Hampton is also travelling with the team.

 

The opening day of play in the best-of-five match series features each country’s No. 1 singles player against the No. 2 player from the opposing country.  The exact order of play (which country’s No. 1 plays first) will be determined at the Draw Ceremony, which will be held on Friday, April 20.  The second day of competition begins on Sunday with the “reverse singles,” starting with each country’s No. 1 player squaring off followed by the No. 2 players and then the doubles match.  Each match is best-of-three-sets.

 

ORDER OF PLAY

 

DAY/LOCAL TIME     MATCH             PAIRING

Saturday, 11:30 a.m.      Singles A:              Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) vs. Christina McHale (USA)

Singles B:              Elina Svitolina (UKR) vs. Serena Williams (USA)

Sunday, 11:00 a.m.         Singles C:             Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) vs. Serena Williams (USA)

Singles D:             Elina Svitolina (UKR) vs. Christina McHale (USA)

Doubles:                Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiya Kichenok (UKR) vs. Liezel Huber and Sloane Stephens (USA)

QUOTES

 

U.S. Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez

On Christina McHale opening the tie with the first singles match: “I think it is fantastic. Christina has now played a few Fed Cups. She has played both the first and second match. I think it is a good start for the team. As a player, I liked playing first and not knowing any results so I think it is a good thing for us.”

 

Christina McHale

On being selected to play the first singles match: “I have to be ready either way, whether I am playing first or second so I am just looking forward to playing tomorrow.”

 

Serena Williams

When asked about the order of play for singles and facing Lesia Tsurenko: “Like Christina said it doesn’t matter because you have to be ready anyway. I don’t know much about [Tsurenko] but Mary Joe has been able to tell me a few things about her and I am just going to go out there and try to play my game.”

 

Liezel Huber

On the U.S. being favored to win: “Anybody can win at any given time. I think experience is going to come into play. We don’t think of ourselves as underdogs or favorites because in tennis anything can happen at any time. Like Serena said, we are just going to play our game and hopefully they play great and so do we, to put on a good show for the fans.”

 

Quotes courtesy of the USTA

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