By Blair Henley
The U.S. Fed Cup team pulled off an impressive win over Russia last Sunday – without the Williams sisters.
A roster spot was left open for Venus or Serena, should one of them be healthy enough to play, but both withdrew from the contest just days before it began. Though they both cited lingering knee injuries, their failure over the years to consistently represent the United States has frustrated many American tennis supporters. It’s no surprise that fans are calling for team captain, Mary Joe Fernandez, to stick with this weekend’s winning trio of Melanie Oudin, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Liezel Huber for the final against Italy in November. If this were a sport that offered bonus points for loyalty, I would immediately jump on that bandwagon. Too bad that’s not the case. Fernandez needs to assemble the team with the best possible chance of winning the Cup, even if that means ousting one or more of the gutsy players who got them there.
The unlikely heroine against Russia was none other than world No. 128 Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who is often recognized more for her outrageous wardrobe choices than for her notable play. Though her stellar performance on the final day of competition helped seal a 3-2 victory for the U.S. team, she and Melanie Oudin, currently ranked No. 31, would certainly be underdogs against Italy’s more experienced singles tandem of Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone, ranked No. 15 and No. 17 respectively.
Look, it’s not like the U.S. team has multiple options. If Venus and Serena do not make themselves available for the final (they didn’t last year and the team went on to get crushed by Italy), it seems reasonable to keep the roster as it is. But if, by miraculous chance, the sisters are willing and healthy, denying them a spot on the team would be like fighting a war with sling shots when machine guns are readily available.
Not surprisingly, Oudin doesn’t agree with that reasoning. When asked who she thought should play against Italy, her answer was clear: “The people that have gotten us there.”
“I think that is the fairest thing to do,” she went on to say. “You should have enough faith in that team to be able to bring them to the finals.”
Would that be fair? Yes. Would that be smart? No. Oudin’s answer, though undoubtedly stemming from an admirable desire to represent her country, is a bit shortsighted. She lost singles matches to both Pennetta and Schiavone in last year’s final. I would hope she would want Fernandez to send the team most capable of victory.
What people seem to be missing here is that the contribution of Oudin, Mattek-Sands and Huber would by no means be invalidated if that same team did not play for the title. The fight they showed against a formidable Russian team is, after all, the reason the Americans have a chance for the championship in the first place. The relatively small percentage of people who actually pay attention to Fed Cup results aren’t going to forget that.
It’s been ten years since the United States last brought home a Fed Cup title. Mary Joe Fernandez would be wise to do everything in her power to win another one with Venus and Serena before they decide to retire altogether. There’s no shame in that.
The most important statement you made was "the relatively small percentage of people who actually pay attention to Fed Cup". That's the battle Oudin, Mattek-Sands and Huber can't win . . . and until Outin and Mattek-Sands get into the top ten (or at least a final in one of the upcoming slams), they never will. Tennis needs the Williams sisters there only because they are the marketable product for any sort of mass audience.
The most important statement you made was "the relatively small percentage of people who actually pay attention to Fed Cup". That's the battle Oudin, Mattek-Sands and Huber can't win . . . and until Outin and Mattek-Sands get into the top ten (or at least a final in one of the upcoming slams), they never will. Tennis needs the Williams sisters there only because they are the marketable product for any sort of mass audience.
It wouldn’t be right for the Williams sisters to just waltz in and play the final, even though Italy would inevitably crush the USA 5:0 without them.
Integrity is more important than success.
Yes it would not be fare like OUDIN says but then she shouldnt complain. Oudin made a coment about williams sister not wanting to play for their country, blah blahblah.
The Williams sisters have been there done that. They want to pace themselves so they can be around to play for years and the only time Oudin can make coments like that is when she reaches number one, wins multiple grandslams double and singles, wins EOY championships and wins more than 10 titles. But before then she should get on with her tennis and TRYING to find a way to beat ITALY or even win a match againgst them.
Also its been 10years. Like really? If I were the Williams sisters I would do the same. but my reason would be that is OUDIN and MATTEK-SANDS good enough to play with, maybe the Williams sister should just be the only two in the US team/ they could play singles and then take out the doubles. But they are doing what THEY want to do and if it means they will stay for 10years by pacing themselves??..YES??….GOOD!
I think it's worth mentioning that Roger Federer hasn't played Davis Cup in 6 years and I wonder if he's being ridiculed or badgered in Switzerland for not playing for his country. There's got to be something to it that top players don't play that much. After getting injured and jeapodizing themselves for the next major (French Open), Kim Clijsters and Justin Henin will probably think twice about playing Fed Cup again any time soon. Melanie Oudin hasn't been pro long enough or won enough titles (if any) to say anything against the Williams sisters. She just started playing Fed Cup the last year and has a ways to go to catch up with the Williams sisters. No, Venus and Serena haven't played Fed Cup in a couple of years but as they get older, I would imagine they've got to pick and choose which tournaments they want to risk injury for, especially if they already know they are not healthy because like it or not, all players including Roger Federer and Venus and Serena, want to be healthy enough to show up for the grand slams.
I think it's worth mentioning that Roger Federer hasn't played Davis Cup in 6 years and I wonder if he's being ridiculed or badgered in Switzerland for not playing for his country. There's got to be something to it that top players don't play that much. After getting injured and jeapodizing themselves for the next major (French Open), Kim Clijsters and Justin Henin will probably think twice about playing Fed Cup again any time soon. Melanie Oudin hasn't been pro long enough or won enough titles (if any) to say anything against the Williams sisters. She just started playing Fed Cup the last year and has a ways to go to catch up with the Williams sisters. No, Venus and Serena haven't played Fed Cup in a couple of years but as they get older, I would imagine they've got to pick and choose which tournaments they want to risk injury for, especially if they already know they are not healthy because like it or not, all players including Roger Federer and Venus and Serena, want to be healthy enough to show up for the grand slams.