Sania Mirza’s absence deeply felt at Fed Cup

With the Indian Fed Cup team losing to Indonesia that to a margin with 1-2, India now desperately wants its star tennis player Sania Mirza to come back and restore some pride by winning some matches for India in the Fed Cup 2008.

In the absence of Sania Mirza who is out with hamstring injury, Shikha Uberoi and Sunitha Rao both who stay in US and play for India couldn’t do much in the Asia/Oceania Zone Group 1 Federation Cup Group 1 Opener match. Shikha, who is the cousin of Vivek Oberoi, somehow manage to win her single match against Ayu Fani 6-4, 6-4 but the poor lass, Sunitha, just couldn’t match her teammate’s level of play and went down cheaply to a player who is far below in ranking.

Sunitha lost her first singles Fed Cup match in three sets. Her score was 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. And then the duo came together to play Fed Cup doubles match for India and alas both these girls who reside in US, a country where all tennis players love to stay to improve their games, again lost to their Indonesian opponents 6-7, 3-6, 6-3.

I find it strange, that Indian Federation Cup team who is lead by these two girls were not able to beat Indonesia, a nation who I never heard making any news in tennis, though they are the powerhouse in badminton.

Had Sania been there then I can tell you scene and scores would have been different. Come on Sania Mirza make a speedy recovery from you injury and help India score some points in the ongoing Fed Cup 2008.

What you says guys this year’s Fed Cup is generating enough interest among tennis fans with some top tennis players representing their countries in the ongoing Fed Cup.

Maria Sharapova adds glamour to the Federation Cup

The announcement that the gorgeous former world number one Maria Sharapova will be part of the Russian team for the 2008 Federation Cup has got more tennis fans like me, who are more interested in men’s tennis or pro tennis, to this team event that I feel comes and goes without a whimper.

If I have started following the 2008 Federation Cup then it’s just because of Sharapova or else I never cared for this tournament which is given a skip by most top tennis players for more lucrative tennis tournaments.

I think what Maria Sharapova has done needs to be applauded. Participation of such world class players for such team event like the Federation Cup just gives a fresh lease of life to such tournaments that are played simply for the honor of a nation.

And then, I have also felt these professional players don’t play with the kind of gutso with which they play professional tour matches. I think even that needs to be changed. All that is possible if the all the professional players take active part in such tournaments.

One of the reasons for the poor show in tournaments like Federation Cup or Davis Cup is the mismatch of contest. A top class player can never play the kind of game he plays with someone who is at the bottom in the rankings. This disparity needs to be changed if the organizers want to get the stadiums packed chock-o-block like any other pro tour tournament gets.