Mattek-Sands, Oudin, No Williams Sisters vs Czechs in Fed Cup
Posted on April 16, 2009The Williams sisters will again skip the Fed Cup on April 25-26 for the U.S., leaving debutante Bethanie Mattek-Sands and rookie Melanie Oudin in singles when the American visit the Czech Republic.
The match will be played over the weekend on an indoor hardcourt at the Starobrno Rondo Arena in Brno, Czech Republic. Tennis Channel will present daily coverage beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET on Saturday and 6 a.m. ET on Sunday.
"I am thrilled that Bethanie is healthy and able to represent her country at this time," said U.S. Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez. "Liezel [Huber in doubles] is unquestionably our team leader and Melanie really impressed me with both her competitive spirit and her composure in Surprise [Arizona]. Alexa [Glatch, also elected to the team], at just 19, is playing some of the best tennis of her career right now, and her game really compliments the rest of the team in that each player has a very distinct style. I am really excited to take this team to the semifinal tie in the Czech Republic."
Mattek-Sands, 24, will make her debut on the U.S. Fed Cup team. She had the best season of her career in 2008, rising over 70 spots in the Sony Ericsson WTA rankings. She reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, her best showing in a Grand Slam, before losing to Serena Williams. Mattek-Sands also reached her first tour final in Quebec City, Canada, in November, and reached the semifinals in Birmingham, England, and Los Angeles, after which Mattek-Sands made her debut in the Top 50. The top-ranked American other than the Williams sisters, Mattek-Sands is currently No. 38 in the world.
Oudin, 17, will be making her second straight appearance for the U.S. Fed Cup team after earning a key singles victory against Argentina with the U.S. facing a 2-1 deficit in February's quarterfinal. Oudin officially turned pro after the 2008 US Open Junior Championships, where she reached the semifinals as the No. 2 seed. She achieved her best result in a tour event in Quebec City, where she recorded her first win over a Top 50 player (Sybille Bammer) en route to the quarterfinals. Oudin won her first professional title last July at the USTA Pro Circuit $50,000 event in Lexington, Ky., and also appeared in the semifinals at two other $50,000 events. She is currently No. 176 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Rankings.
Glatch, 19, will also make her Fed Cup debut in the Czech Republic. She won her fifth career singles title on the USTA Pro Circuit in Liguna Niguel, Calif., in January, and had her best-ever showing in a tour-level event in Indian Wells, Calif., where she reached the third round. After reaching the second round in Miami, she is now a career-high No. 111 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Rankings. Glatch had a spectacular career on the junior circuit, which peaked in 2005 when she won the Easter Bowl and then reached both the singles and doubles final at the US Open Junior Championships.
The match will be played over the weekend on an indoor hardcourt at the Starobrno Rondo Arena in Brno, Czech Republic. Tennis Channel will present daily coverage beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET on Saturday and 6 a.m. ET on Sunday.
"I am thrilled that Bethanie is healthy and able to represent her country at this time," said U.S. Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez. "Liezel [Huber in doubles] is unquestionably our team leader and Melanie really impressed me with both her competitive spirit and her composure in Surprise [Arizona]. Alexa [Glatch, also elected to the team], at just 19, is playing some of the best tennis of her career right now, and her game really compliments the rest of the team in that each player has a very distinct style. I am really excited to take this team to the semifinal tie in the Czech Republic."
Mattek-Sands, 24, will make her debut on the U.S. Fed Cup team. She had the best season of her career in 2008, rising over 70 spots in the Sony Ericsson WTA rankings. She reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, her best showing in a Grand Slam, before losing to Serena Williams. Mattek-Sands also reached her first tour final in Quebec City, Canada, in November, and reached the semifinals in Birmingham, England, and Los Angeles, after which Mattek-Sands made her debut in the Top 50. The top-ranked American other than the Williams sisters, Mattek-Sands is currently No. 38 in the world.
Oudin, 17, will be making her second straight appearance for the U.S. Fed Cup team after earning a key singles victory against Argentina with the U.S. facing a 2-1 deficit in February's quarterfinal. Oudin officially turned pro after the 2008 US Open Junior Championships, where she reached the semifinals as the No. 2 seed. She achieved her best result in a tour event in Quebec City, where she recorded her first win over a Top 50 player (Sybille Bammer) en route to the quarterfinals. Oudin won her first professional title last July at the USTA Pro Circuit $50,000 event in Lexington, Ky., and also appeared in the semifinals at two other $50,000 events. She is currently No. 176 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Rankings.
Glatch, 19, will also make her Fed Cup debut in the Czech Republic. She won her fifth career singles title on the USTA Pro Circuit in Liguna Niguel, Calif., in January, and had her best-ever showing in a tour-level event in Indian Wells, Calif., where she reached the third round. After reaching the second round in Miami, she is now a career-high No. 111 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Rankings. Glatch had a spectacular career on the junior circuit, which peaked in 2005 when she won the Easter Bowl and then reached both the singles and doubles final at the US Open Junior Championships.