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No One's Slumming in Slovenia
Zina's team of Venus, Navratilova,
Raymond
begin quest for 18th Fed Cup title
Raymond: "I always put my hand
up and say, 'I'm ready to go, pick me.'
That's the kind of player a coach wants"
By Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net
Ron Cioffi/tr.net |
| Lisa Raymond and teammate
Martina Navratilova reached the finals in Charleston. |
FROM FED CUP IN PORTOROZ, SLOVENIA –
Every journey begins with a defining incident: For the new coach
Zina Garrison's US Fed Cup team that will face Slovenia on red clay
in the eye-popping seaside town of Portoroz this coming weekend,
it started with Serena Williams pulling out of the tie with a knee
injury.
That puts tremendous pressure on Lisa Raymond, who is going to have
to bring her 'A' game on her least favorite surface if the US is
to leave here unscathed. Coming off her impressive title run at
the Family Circle Cup, Venus Williams now has enough confidence
again to face down both Tina Pisnik and Katarina Srebotnik, but
as well as the 30-year-old Raymond has played the past six months,
she has never been comfortable on clay in either singles or doubles.
She and her partner, the tireless Martina Navratilova, put in their
best performance of the year by reaching the Family Circle finals
last week, but they have struggled in their developing partnership
and could be pressed by Srebotnik/Tina Krizan, should the tie get
to a fifth and deciding match on Sunday.
This US team, which also includes rookie Laura Granville, is a good
one, but is without some major parts including Serena, Lindsay Davenport
(likely won't play this year), Monica Seles (who has been injured
the past 10 months) Jennifer Capriati (who still has bad blood due
to the '02 controversy in Charlotte, N.C. and likely will never
play Fed Cup again) and Chanda Rubin (chronically injured).
But Raymond – who won three matches
in the semis against Belgium last year – is now a tried
and true Fed Cup warrior and is itching to prove herself once
again.
| A
long day's journey to Slovenia
Every journey does begin with a defining incident and this
reporter's Oakland-door-to-Hotel-Metropol-door breakout
moment came on the SFO to JFK leg, when coordination-challenged
fellow traveler opened up the compartment above me, dropped
my bag onto my lap, causing a soda to paint my pants and
my tape recorder to hit the ground. Not surprisingly, tennis
broke out on tape, as it began playing an old Lleyton Hewitt
interview. "It was a bit of a struggle, mate,"
Hewitt barked out to the crowd in row "J."
"I know that voice. Who is that?" one traveler
asked after I had laid a red-faced Lleyton-type C'MON glare
into the person who dumped my belongings."
"A tennis player," I answered.
"Andre Agassi, right?"
he asked.
"Not unless he's doing a Road Warrior imitation or
forgot that his wife doesn't have frizzy hair and new home
in Bree," I replied.
A blank stare sent me straight back to the clean-up duties.
As 24-hour journeys go, the rest of the trip went smoothly.
I survived the icy winds at JFK, which Mother Nature has
forgotten to bless with spring. After watching "Matrix:
Revolutions" for the second time, I successfully navigated
the though the hoards at customs in Milano, Italy, recalling
Neo and Agent Smith's acceptance of the inevitable whenever
I felt the need to dropkick a pushy, impatient tourist.
I ran into World TeamTennis CEO Ilana Kloss waiting for
connecting plane to Trieste and thoroughly enjoyed her thoughts
on the game's evolution over the past three decades. Kloss
is here helping out her partner King with the team and had
already hit the ground running, saving Venus with a bottle
of US shampoo.
Kloss and I ran into umpire Sandra de Jenkens of France
in Trieste (the ITF's only woman umpire) and we all shared
a 45-minute van ride to Portoroz, which is just north of
the Italian border. Trieste may have a romantic name that
conjures up long days sitting seaside sipping a glass of
local grapes, but it's port is Italy's largest and it's
massive shipyard dominates the landscape. A hearty mug of
Peroni on the docks seems to be a better fit.
The drive from the border to Portoroz was simply stunning:
vineyards butting up against small green mountains, a deep
azure sea surrounded by old, astute homes mixed in with
striking West European-style shops, restaurant, cafes and
casinos. Everyone smiles that glad-to-be-living here sand
and sea smile.
The Slovenian Tennis Federation is gone all out in giving
the US the Red Carpet treatment. At the Welcome Dinner,
Venus visually took over the room in a stunning black dress,
but it was it was the warms words between officials, captains
and the players exchanging of gifts that were the evening
highlights.
USTA President Alan Schwartz (full confession: I'm writing
for USTA.com this week) gave a terrific speech that noted
America's appreciation of Slovenia's long struggle for democracy
and consequent independence. Slovenian Captain Mima Jausovec
praised King for her work in making women's tennis significant,
as did Garrison, who went out her way to thank US hitting
partners Jon Stark, JP Fruttero and Raja Chaudari, as well
as US High Performance Coordinator Katie Schlukebir, who
is here with California juniors Vania King and Alexa Glatch.
The evening was all about togetherness and teamwork and
in an individual sport that is frequently rife with warring
parties, it was breath of fresh Portoroz air. "It's
so much fun with four girls and the support staff playing
for a common goal," Raymond said. "How cool is
that?
–MC |
"A lot of top girls have counted themselves
out one way or another," Raymond told tennisreporters.net.
"You never know who is going to play. I was a little surprised
when Venus and Serena said they would play. I didn't think they
would want to come to Europe now. I always put my hand up and say,
'I'm ready to go, pick me.' That's the kind of player a coach wants,
who wants to be there, more than someone who thinks everyone should
bow down to them." FED
CUP NEEDS COMMITMENTS
For Fed
Cup to someday be as successful as Davis Cup, all the top players
need to commit and the ties need to be competitive. Blowouts aren't
needed and "C" teams aren't desired. This US team has
two legends on it and an enthusiastic veteran in Raymond who has
discovered that there is life in women's tennis after 30.
If every nation's top players made a commitment to play for the
next couple years, the profile of the competition would be raised
a tremendous amount. France has such commitments, which is why Amelie
Mauresmo and Mary Pierce led them to the title last year. Russia
also has a group of young players who show up for every tie that
includes four top-15 players with star potential: Anastasia Myskina,
Elena Dementieva, Nadia Petrova and Vera Zvonareva.
It's Belgium and the US that have had trouble attracting their top
players over the past two years. And without the marquee appeal
of the Williams sisters, Justine-Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters,
it's very tough going indeed.
"If you get the top players to play, it will become a more
elite event," Raymond said. "In Davis Cup, you've got
it. It's big time. That's the way it used to be for Fed Cup when
Billie [Jean King], Chrissie [Evert] and Martina were playing. It
has to be a big priority. It's not a priority in the US. Unfortunately,
they don't see it as an elite competition."
In February, Capriati opined that the US fans don't care enough
about the competition, which makes it hard for her to get excited
about it. Of course, the last time Capriati was supposed to play
– in Charlotte – the tie was sold out, but she missed
the fan's enthusiasm because she was kicked off the team the night
before the competition began.
"It's not seen as on the same level as Davis Cup and I think
that's wrong," said Raymond. "But you get people in the
stands. Last year in Washington [a win over Italy] , we had a great
crown. At Stanford in 1999, it was great. Jennifer has to realize
she has to do the PR, she has to put in the time and do the clinics.
You have to talk about it enthusiastically all year long. You can't
just show up."
But it's not just Capriati who has decided on occasion that Fed
Cup is hampering her schedule. All credit to Venus for playing this
week, but before she and Serena's first round appearance last April
in Lowell, they hadn't played since the 1999 final, when the US
beat Russia. Rubin chose not to play last year's final because she
didn't want to risk further injury and Davenport's dispute with
then captain King last June took her out of the quarterfinal.
If Serena comes back to the team and Venus, Raymond and Navratilova
play the rest of the year, the US has a goods chance of winning
their 18th Cup. But if the bench continues to stay thin, there could
be trouble down the line.
"Unfortunately, the top players don't play for whatever reason
and I don't understand it," "Raymond said. "Make
yourself available to play for your country. You look at how much
the guys put into Davis Cup and I wish they could put this much
in to Fed Cup.
"Sometimes you have to give back a little and not be so selfish.
I wouldn't trade a week off for a Fed Cup week ever. It's a matter
of pride and patriotism. There have been some injuries and some
personal issues (not necessarily with the team) but in the grand
scheme, I don't understand why you wouldn't put you hand up."
Raymond fully understands that if Fed Cup wants to enter the big
time, it has to be on the lips on the players and mentioned in the
words of the media a good nine months a year – just like Davis
Cup is. Players and the media were discussing the Easter weekend
tie between the US and Sweden for two months before it happened.
While you could have heard Andy Roddick breaking down the Swiss
team weekly during February, nary a word was published from the
US women about how tough it would be to deal with the pumped-up
Slovenians on dirt.
"With Fed Cup, we only hear a couple weeks before whether the
top players are going to play or not," Raymond said.
Because they are both coming off major injures, it's hard to tell
whether the Williamses will play the July tie, the Olympics and
possibly the semis and final. Raymond has no idea which way that
wind will blow. The only thing she and rest of the team know is
if they don't stand up strong against Slovenia on Saturday, Sunday
could bloody.
"We just try to focus on this week," Raymond said. "These
are the girls who want to be there. We get behind each other for
the week and hope to pull each other through."
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