Raymond Pounds Belgium to Give U.S. a 1-0 Lead in Fed Cup Semifinals

Posted on November 20, 2003

With double-digit titles under their belt compared to only two titles between the other three semifinal teams, you'd think the United States, with powerhouse players such as Serena and Venus Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati and Monica Seles, were ready to easily bully their way to a 12th Fed Cup title.

That is, until you take a look at the anemic U.S. line-up.

Due to a slew of injuries, U.S. Fed Cup captain Billie Jean King is putting forth Lisa Raymond (1-2 career in Fed Cup) and Meghann Shaughnessy (2-1 career) in singles, a less-than-stellar team -- until you compare them to the competition. With Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne boycotting the event due to its late spot on the calendar, Belgium is forced to serve up the likes of junior player Kirsten Flipkens (0-2 career), and Els Callens (6-2), with rookies Elke "Not Kim" Clijsters and Caroline Maes in doubles against the veteran team of Raymond/Martina Navratilova.

Earlier today in Moscow, Raymond gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead against Belgium, pounding Els Callens 6-2, 6-1. Shaughnessy was scheduled to face Flipkens in the other Wednesday singles match.

"It feels good to get the U.S. off to a good start," Raymond said. "I think we're all ready, and we came here to win this cup."

Raymond echoes the sentiments of Captain BJK.

"Of course, we're considered favorites now," King said after Tuesday's draw. "But one thing you never want to do is underestimate your opponent. King says the absence of the U.S.'s superstars will not be a deterrent. "Not many countries have the depth we have. I go down the rankings and ask players if they want to play or can play."

The second semifinal will be a toss-up, with Russia seeking its first Fed Cup title against the volatile veteran French team of Amelie Mauresmo and Mary Pierce. Russia goes with Anastasia Myskina, and in a surprise move, Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev has substituted 19-year-old Vera Zvonareva for veteran Elena Dementieva.

Here is a look at the two-day schedule and the four squads competing in the semifinals:

Wednesday, November 19
Belgium vs. United States -- Els Callens vs. Lisa Raymond (American leads head-to-head 3-1), Kirsten Flipkens vs. Meghann Shaughnessy (first meeting).
Russia vs. France -- Vera Zvonareva vs. Amelie Mauresmo (Frenchwoman leads head-to-head 1-0), Anastasia Myskina vs. Mary Pierce (Russian leads 3-1).

Thursday, November 20
Belgium vs. United States -- Els Callens vs. Meghann Shaughnessy, Kirsten Flipkens vs. Lisa Raymond, Elke Clijsters/Caroline Maes vs. Martina Navratilova/Lisa Raymond
Russia vs. France -- Anastasia Myskina vs. Amelie Mauresmo, Vera Zvonareva vs. Mary Pierce, Elena Dementieva/Nadia Petrova vs. Emilie Loit/Mary Pierce

FED CUP SEMIFINAL TEAMS AT A GLANCE

Belgium
Team: Els Callens, Caroline Maes, Elke Clijsters, Kirsten Flipkens, Captain: Mr. Ivo Van Aken
Fed Cup World Group Record: 13-18
Best Result: Winner (2001)
Players Singles History: E.Clijsters 0-0, Callens 6-2, Flipkens 0-2

United States
Team: Meghann Shaughnessy, Lisa Raymond, Alexandra Stevenson, Martina Navratilova, Captain: Ms. Billie Jean King
Fed Cup World Group Record: 66-13
Best Result: Winner 11 times (1976-82, '86, '89, '90, '00)
Players Singles History: Rubin 6-2, Shaughnessy 2-1, Raymond 0-2

France
Team: Amelie Mauresmo, Mary Pierce, Emilie Loit, Stephanie Cohen-Aloro, Captain: Mr. Guy Forget
Fed Cup World Group Record: 29-21
Best Result: Winner (1997)
Players Singles History: Mauresmo 13-4, Pierce 11-8

Russia
Team: Anastasia Myskina, Elena Dementieva, Nadia Petrova, Vera Zvonareva, Captain: Mr. Shamil Tarpischev
Fed Cup World Group Record: 26-17
Best Result: Runner-up 3 times (1988, '90, '01)
Players Singles History: Dementieva 11-3, Myskina 4-1, Zvonareva 1-0

FED CUP SEMIFINAL HEAD-TO-HEADS

Russia leads France 3-2
2001 RUS d. FRA 2-1 in Spain on clay
2000 FRA d. RUS 3-0 in Russia on carpet
1999 RUS d. FRA 3-2 in Russia on carpet
1992 FRA d. CIS 3-0 in Germany on clay
1985 URS d. FRA 2-1 in Japan on hardcourt

U.S. leads Belgium 2-0
2000 USA d. BEL 2-1 in U.S. on carpet
1990 USA d. BEL 3-0 in U.S. on hardcourt

FED CUP ALL-TIME TOP 5 SINGLES MATCH WINNERS
1. SANCHEZ-VICARIO, Arantxa (ESP) 50-22
2. SUKOVA, Helena (CZE) 45-11
3. MARTINEZ, Conchita (ESP) 44-18
4. EVERT, Chris (USA) 40-2
5. WADE, Virginia (GBR) 36-20

Honorable Mention:
NAVRATILOVA, Martina (USA) 20-0

FED CUP ALL-TIME TOP 5 DOUBLES INDIVIDUAL MATCH WINNERS
1. NEILAND, Larisa (LAT) 36-7
2. WADE, Virginia (GBR) 30-13
3. BASUKI, Yayuk (INA) 29-7
4. TURNBULL, Wendy (AUS) 29-8
5T. KING, Billie Jean (USA) 26-1
5T. CASAL, Rosie (USA) 26-1

Honorable Mention:
NAVRATILOVA, Martina (USA) 17-0

FED CUP ALL-TIME TOP 5 DOUBLES TEAM MATCH WINNERS
1. MARTINEZ, Conchita / SANCHEZ-VICARIO, Arantxa (ESP) 18-3
2. ANGGARKUSUMA, Suzanna / BASUKI, Yayuk (INA) 15-3
3. CABEZAS, Paula / CASTRO, Barbara (CHI) 15-5
4. BARKER, Sue / WADE, Virginia (GBR) 13-3
5. NEILAND, Larisa / ZVEREVA, Natalia (RUS) 12-1

NOTES, QUOTES, AND BARBS
Jim "Mattress Mac" McIngvale is steamrolling ahead with his effort to merge the men's and women's year-end championships: "(WTA Tour CEO) Larry Scott was absolutely receptive," McIngvale told the Houston Chronicle. "He flew all to Houston from Florida just for that meeting with us and (ATP CEO Mark) Miles. He's receptive to it because it's real simple -- he knows where the fans are. The fans are right here."...Brit "B"-squad Davis Cupper Miles Maclagan has called it quits (again)...Brit comedienne Linda Smith pegged Tim Henman as "the human form of beige"...Martina Navratilova's amazing career Fed Cup record is 20-0 in singles and 17-0 in doubles....Anna Kournikova made her Fed Cup debut for Russia when she was 14 years old...With Martina Navratilova in Russia this week for the Fed Cup, she says she has no regrets on skipping out of the Soviet Union: "In 1975 the (Russian) federation said it wasn't going to let me play in the US Open because they said I was too Americanized and I was hanging out too much with the American players. They almost didn't give me a visa to go and play, so when I finally did get it and was able to go to the States, I never went back."...The Australian Davis Cup team was shocked yesterday by the death of one of its contributors, Bob "Nails" Carmichael at age 63. Lleyton Hewitt travelled with Carmichael as a junior, with his former proteges also including Pat Rafter, Darren Cahill, Sergi Bruguera and Indian doubles stars Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes. "I'm sort of coming to terms with it a bit," Aussie captain John Fitzgerald told the Herald Sun. "The whole team is in shock, really."...Word is that both Lleyton Hewitt and Mark Philipoussis are looking sharp and healthy on the Kooyong practice grasscourts approaching next week's Davis Cup finale...Carlos Moya, who has a 5-3 head-to-head advantage over Lleyton Hewitt, is already letting the Davis Cup pre-match smack fly: "Hewitt will arrive without competing in three months," Moya told the Herald Sun. "He has been practicing, but the rhythm you get when you're competing is different and the confidence, too. He can feel the pressure and we have to take advantage of that."...How about that Martina Navratilova, first saving the dread-inducing WTA Championships with her presence and quote-machine personality, and now saving the Fed Cup -- how's it going WTA Tour, with needing a 47-year-old to get you (barely) in the papers?