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| U.S. Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez.© |
Sunday, November 8, 2009
This year has been amazing. We started in Arizona with a pretty young team, including Melanie who I had just seen in Australia for the first time. Seeing her then and seeing her now I have seen such an amazing growth and transformation in every aspect of her game and she has matured so much.
Just for me to be back in a team atmosphere is fantastic. I have said so many times how my favorite memories are when I was on a team and Fed Cup was definitely one of the highlights and now to be in the mix from a different perspective has been great. It really is a dream come true. And the team has been fantastic. The girls fought so hard in every single tie. In each tie we were down and out and came back and we were hoping to do the same today but the Italian team was the better team, they really played well and they deserved to win.
I am very proud of everyone this year from the players who were not here in Italy like Bethanie, Jill and Julie, who came through for us in the other ties to our team here today. It was just a really positive year.
Getting the Fed Cup Award of Excellence today was very special. I did not expect it. I was told I was the first American to receive it so that is even more unique. It is all about the team and team spirit and having that desire to perform not just for yourself but for your team and your country that really stands out and really everybody exemplified that.
We had such a long wait between the semifinals and the final this year and now it is only three more months until our first tie of 2010 against France. It is right around the corner. But we will take a little time off to absorb and enjoy this season and we will start up again.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
I thought both Melanie and Alexa did good jobs today. They both went out there and tried to execute their game plan and play their best. Alexa had opportunities early on; I thought she could have been a little more aggressive but the court plays pretty slow and Pennetta was very solid and once she got a little confident, it was pretty tough.
Melanie started great, really took it to Schiavone and was really dictating a lot of the points. But the conditions were so heavy it was hard to keep it up. After the rain delay it got so much colder, it was damp and I think that affected how much her ball was traveling through the air. It got complicated but at the same time she could have still won the first set. And if you win the first set, you never know. The pressure changes and maybe Schiavone does not swing out as freely as she did in the second set.
But I was proud of both of them because they both did their best, they left it all out there and they tried everything I told them to do and the Italians were just too good today.
During the rain delay, Melanie ate a little bit, warmed up on the bike but she was ahead so it was basically keep doing what you are doing. She was doing a great job. She was using her forehand well, taking the ball early, returning well, serving well – she was doing everything really well so it was a matter of keeping that intensity up and start strong. Unfortunately she got broken right away when we got back out and that sort of changed the complexion of the match because if she holds she is up 5-2 and still has a pretty good lead but it was fight right from the start.
For me, tomorrow’s matches are another chance to get better and another chance to improve. It is an opportunity for both Melanie and Alexa to make the right plays on the court, do what they have been practicing and put it into play. That it was is fun for me as a captain; we do all these things during the week and you know what they are working on during the year and then the match comes and you see if they can do the set plays and some of the strategies. It is about hopefully executing better tomorrow than today but same intensity, same intentions and you leave it all out there.
Friday, November 6, 2009Tomorrow is the first day of play with Alexa leading things off against Pennetta and then Melanie faces Francesca Schiavone. I think Alexa’s experience in the Czech Republic, where she played away in her first Fed Cup tie will give her some confidence. She played second each day there, we were always down when she played and that was a lot of pressure.
When I played Fed Cup, I always liked going first. You did not know any results; you could focus on your match and not worry what the situation was. Obviously when you are up 1-0, it gives you a little bit of comfort but still I liked going up first. I think Alexa is ready and hopefully will bring her best game.
When deciding the lineup, I looked at practice this week, match-ups and I looked at how Alexa has played under pressure before, so all of those things really worked in her favor. She has played Pennetta before and had a good result, she really likes playing on the clay and has a really good attitude towards playing on a slower surface and the way she came through in the Czech Republic was just amazing. Being down, the pressure was on her like you would not believe and she performed, she really kept her cool. Those are the major factors in having her play in one of the singles spots. It is the final, however, so it is a different situation for everybody and there is definitely going to be tension out there.
I think the most important thing for Alexa and Melanie tomorrow is that they just go for it. Our slogan in the Czech Republic was go big or go home and that is kind of the same philosophy now. They have to be committed, they have to go for their shots and try to play the way they like to play as much as they can - but that is not always in your control because the opposition is extremely good. And I just want them to play as fearless as they can and go for it.
Thursday, November 5, 2009Tomorrow is the official draw ceremony and I think I have the lineup mostly set for this weekend. We do still have to wait for tomorrow’s practice to be sure as it is the end of the year so I have to see who is fittiest, healthiest and ready to go. I have my inclinations right now but I just going to make sure of everything tomorrow.
The captains can also make changes to the lineup either Saturday or Sunday, up to an hour before matches begin, which is really nice as it gives you a little more flexibility.
Today Melanie was also presented with the inaugural Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Heart Award, which was really nice. I felt that both Melanie and Alexa deserved the award because they both performed so well this year in Fed Cup and exemplified what it is to be a team member.
Melanie really wears it on her sleeve; you see how much she cares. She works hard, she fights and shows her own heart when she plays. You can just see how much appreciation they all have for being on a team, whether they are playing, supporting or practicing they really put the team first and that is hard in an individual sport. The three players that I have had on the team previously this year have showed it time and time again that it is about the team and how excited they get to be contributing to that.
The last time I was in Italy for Fed Cup was actually back in 1999 when I was playing. Ten years ago, I was on the team with Monica Seles and Venus and Serena Williams and we played in Ancona. I have great memories and I love Italy. I think having a Spanish background, my affinity is even more towards Italy. I remember it was another beautiful setting, the crowd gets very lively and into it but it was a great experience and I am looking forward to this one here again. We like the other team and it always challenging when you are away, you have to deal with those outside factors but you remember it more because of it. I have great memories from it (and the U.S. went on to win the Fed Cup title that year) and hopefully we can repeat them this weekend.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009We were a little unlucky with the rain this morning so we started practicing a little late but after that the skies cleared up nicely and we had a great morning session. Then we practiced a little under the lights tonight – the lights are not so good yet – they are still trying to work on and fix them but I wanted to get some more doubles practice in so Liezel played a little with Vania, a little with Alexa and it turned into a good day of practice.
This team works really, really hard and they are so motivated. The intensity is always really high when they are practicing. It is really nice being there as a captain watching because no matter what I ask them to do or how long it is for, they are there and they go the extra mile if necessary. I’m really, really excited about it and proud of them.
Tonight starts our team games of Charades, which we have played at each tie this year, after dinner. So we are getting our ‘A’ games together and our trainer Joanna is back, who is major competition. Vania is the rookie as this is her first tie this year, so she said she has been practicing and we are going to start our little tradition again!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
We started practicing for the upcoming Fed Cup final yesterday here in Reggio Calabria, Italy. Vania and Alexa were here and we all actually flew together from Rome with Nicole Gibbs and Beatrice Capra, our Future Fed Cuppers, so we had a good couple hours of hitting yesterday to get used to the conditions. Liezel arrived today and Melanie arrived last night so we got out for a couple practices today with the whole team. It was a tough day with the weather – it was windy and rainy but we were lucky we were able to get out there and hit and get used to the clay.
We have a few practice courts at the facility, which helps a lot. In the Czech Republic (for the semifinals) we only had the one court so they were really long days of practice. But here with the extra courts we are able to divide things up and have everybody practice at the same time and have more of a normal schedule, which I think makes a huge difference.
As far as the team, I am so happy that both Vania and Alexa were able to come last minute. They were very excited. I have not had Vania on a team yet this year so it is great to have her. She is one of the players that can play both singles and doubles, which is one of the reasons I picked her; she has played really good doubles with Liezel in the past.
Alexa was our star in the Czech Republic and really played great under pressure and has a win over Pennetta so having them both last minute say yes was great.
It is beautiful here in Reggio Calabria; we have great views and can see Sicily. And we are looking forward to the competition this weekend. It has been such a great first year for me as U.S. Fed Cup Captain and I am so proud and excited about the team and the young ones and continuing to build and to encourage and help as much as I can to get them to have that belief.
As far as Melanie, we have seen great things from her this year since Fed Cup in Arizona that has really been a thrill. Now Melanie will be the No. 1 player for the first time so that changes a little bit of the dynamics but she has really proven herself this year, which has been great. And having Liezel back really adds that stability and experience and she always comes through in the clutch so I could not be happier.