Williams sisters available for Fed Cup final
Venus and Serena Williams have made themselves available to play for the USA in the final of this year’s Fed Cup.
And while it’s a decision that USA Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez has welcomed, it’s also one that looks set to mean one of a core group of players that has guided the team to this stage of the competition is also set to miss out on playing in the decider.
There is no doubt the Williams sisters are America’s two best tennis players. Indeed, Serena is the world’s best at present while Venus is in the top five.
With them America marches into the final against Italy this November with a team that will surely be more than a match for the defending champions and likely completes the job that teenage Melanie Oudin and her teammates couldn’t when they faced an Italian team spearheaded by Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta last year.
Sure, but isn’t there a case to be made that the Oudin, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Liezel Huber trio, who have answered the call of their country so far in 2010 and won their way to the decider with a 4-1 defeat of France in the first round and a 3-2 win over Russia in the semi-finals, have earned the right to again represent the USA in the final?
Or is that just putting loyalty and sentiment before results?
The USTA’s announcement states that Venus and Serena will join core players Oudin, Mattek-Sands and Huber for the final. Problem is, that makes five and when the team for the final is announced, someone is going to have to miss out. Simple as that.
"As captain, you always want to have your best players. I am very excited that Venus and Serena have made themselves available for the Fed Cup Final in San Diego," said Fernandez in the announcement on the USTA website.
"Teaming Venus and Serena with Melanie, who continues to play an integral role in all of our Fed Cup matches, Bethanie, who has come through in decisive matches, and Liezel, who has been crucial in our doubles, we have one of the strongest line-ups in years. I strongly believe that this team can win the Fed Cup title on our home soil."
Reversing last year’s result, and winning the USA’s first Fed cup championship since 2000, clearly has to be the priority for Fernandez, and that means that if both Williams sisters are fit and still inclined to play in the final come the end of the year (and there’s no guarantee that will be the case, with Serena last year withdrawing from the Fed Cup team the week before the final, which is tacked on the tail-end of the season), then the decision is obvious.
And in the end it probably means only two of the three players who’ve done the hard yards to get the team this far will be celebrating victory as part of the team come November.
An outcome which, without the Williams sisters in the team, will be a lot tougher to achieve. Last year’s 0-4 loss to Italy in the final is proof positive of that.
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