Sharapova available for Fed Cup final

Mal Taam/MALTphoto Sybille Bammer and Mirza Sania are moving forward with victories but Patty Schnyder, center, is losing ground in 2007.

However, Anna Chakvetadze doesn't think that Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev will name Sharapova to the team.

Sharapova underwent heavy criticism in Russian coaching circles for pulling out the post-Wimbledon tie against the US, which Russia ended up winning 3-2 behind Chakvetadze, Nadia Petrova and Elena Vesnina.

After the victory, Tarpischev told reporters that he wouldn't consider naming Sharapova to the final round team, but Sharapova's father, Yuri, says that the czar of Russian tennis has changed his mind.

"I have been in contact with Shamil Tarpischev through my father who is currently in Moscow, and he has assured us that he was misquoted by some of the Russian media," Sharapova wrote. "He never said that I was not invited to the Fed Cup final. He repeated that I am always invited to play for Russia. I have told Shamil and the Russian Federation that I will make myself available to play in the finals if they need me. My [shoulder] injury created a problem, and I understand and respect that many of my Russian teammates who competed in the first two rounds should get the first chance to play in the finals."

Chakvetadze said that Tarpishev is merely trying to still the waters.

"The captain decides, but I think it would be weird because we played quarter-finals semifinal with the same team," Chakvetadze said.

Bammer bangs into semis; Schnyder sliding away
Tina's mom, eighth-seed Sybille Bammer, also did some schooling when she blitzed former Stanford Cardinal Lilia Osterloh 6-2, 6-1. After the match during the press conference, Bammer's five-year-old daughter, Tina, looked out at the press corps and said, "You aren't very funny." No truer words have ever been spoken.

Bammer will face Sania Mirza, whose incredible form continued in a 7-6(1), 6-1 victory over the fading Patty Schnyder. It was by far the largest crowd of the tournament, with many of those in attendance of Indian descent. They cheered loud and hard for Mirza, who came back from a break down in the second and gained control of the match by playing consistently from her weaker backhand side and waiting patiently for opening. When she got her favored forehand, she tore apart Schnyder.

Mirza said the key moment of the match came when she broke back to 5-3 with two blazing backhand returns.

"I probably hit 90 percent backhands today and I'm happy the way I converted my weakness into a strength," Mirza said. "It was like a ball machine coming to my backhand."

But another huge moment came with Mirza serving at deuce at 6-5, when a Schnyder forehand that landed close to baseline was called good. Mirza successfully challenged the call and the ball was called out. Schynder's game fell off the face of the earth after that and Taube Stadium at Stanford became a Sania fest.

"I did go down after that." Schnyder said. "I was really slow, I couldn't get the right spin on the ball and didn't have my timing. I had no chance to find a strategy. I have to figure out what is going on because I'm having too many up-and-downs in matches."

For the first time in her career, Mirza has reached a WTA Tier II semifinal and, coupled with her win over No. 19 Tatiana Golovin, it's the first time she's beaten two Top-20 players in a row.

"Experience and maturity is something I've achieved," the 20-year-old Mirza said. "Beating two players I never [defeated], I must be doing something right. I don't go for every ball anymore. I'm feeling good out there."

© TennisReporters.net 2007