The Fed Cup will likely incorporate both the semifinals and final of the competition within one week if the president of the ITF has his own way.
Concerns about the competitions scheduling has been raised once again this week by the US Fed Cup captain, Mary-Jo Fernandez. Former world No.4 Fernandez will travel with her team to Brisbane for their playoff tie against Australia. The American team will feature four top-100 players, however, their three highest ranked players will not be attending the tie. Serena and Venus Williams as well as Sloane Stephens will miss the tie as they prepare for the start of the European clay court season. The timing of the tie is one which is problematic for Fernandez.
“We didn’t find out we were coming to Australia until the second week of February,” Fernandez said.
“It’s not the most convenient thing to do, come to Australia when everyone’s heading to Europe or in the States.”
The concerns about the scheduling is nothing for for the organizers of the Fed Cup. It is also an issue that is being followed closely by David Haggerty, who was elected ITF president in 2015. As things currently stand, the semifinals of the team competition occur in April followed by the final in November. This format could soon change with Haggerty pushing for both to occur within the same week in order to attract the big names back to the event.
“I was talking to David Haggerty, who’s running the ITF, the other day about it and I think that’s what he’s going to propose. He’s trying to propose the semis and the finals the same week,” Fernandez said.
Weighing in on the subject, Fernandez said that there ‘needs to be a compromise’ in place so that players can plan their schedule further ahead of time. The 44-year-old American captain speaks from experience. During her career, Fernandez played 26 Fed Cup matches between 1991-1998.
The absence of leading players from their home team isn’t just down to scheduling. It could also be due to the culture of that nation. Australian Fed Cup captain, Alicia Molik, spoke proudly about her nation’s enthusiasm for team events. All three of Australia’s highest ranked players will play in their upcoming tie this weekend.
“The tradition starts young. When you learn about all the qualities of being an Australian, when that’s instilled at a young age, it’s something you always aspire to do,” Molik said.
“We’re fortunate in Australia to have our best players wanting to play and put their hand up at all times to represent their country.
Another explanation for the absence of the Williams sisters could be the Olympic Games. Both sisters have already guaranteed their Olympic spot. Players must be present in at least three Fed Cup ties in the four-year Olympic cycle in order to qualify for the Olympics.
There are currently no definitive plans concerning the future structure of the Fed Cup. The only certainty is that the competition will be changed in some way in the future. The only question is, how radical will these changes be?
