Germany hammers depleted RI, France into Fed Cup semis
Germany hammers depleted RI, France into Fed Cup semis
Agencies, Essen, Germany
German number one Anna-Lena Groenefeld put a weakened
Indonesian team out of its misery on Sunday as she swept aside
Wynne Prakusya to give the hosts an unbeatable 3-0 lead in their
Fed Cup World Group II tie.
Groenefeld, ranked 47th on the WTA computer, needed just 56
minutes to defeat 422nd ranked Wynne 6-0, 6-2 on the red clay
courts of Etuf Essen stadium.
Germany went up 4-0 when Anca Barna defeated veteran Romana
Tedjakusuma 6-4, 6-4 in 84 minutes. It was California-based
Romana's first Fed Cup match in three years.
In the first match, Wynne raced to a 40-0 lead in Groenefeld's
opening service game, but from then on struggled increasingly to
deal with the powerful groundstrokes coming her way.
Groenefeld saved the break points before winning the opening
game from an unforced error, www.fedcup.com reported.
The German won the first set in 25 minutes of one-sided
bombardment on both flanks against an opponent who simply had no
weapon in her armament to worry the 19 year old.
Groenefeld was similarly ruthless in the second set, opening
up a 3-0 lead before Wynne took her first service game. Although
she won another game, it was too late to change a losing
scoreline.
On Saturday, Indonesia, without injured number one Angelique
"Angie" Widjaja, had picked up just five games in its two singles
matches.
Groenefeld needed only 53 minutes to overpower 16-year-old Ayu
Fani Damayanti 6-3 6-1 before Julia Schruff took two minutes
longer in blasting Wynne off the court 6-1 6-0.
"They're too tough," Indonesian captain Suzanna Anggarkusuma
was quoted as saying on the Fed Cup's official website. "The
courts do not suit us. We're used to playing on hardcourts, but
in any case they move so much better than us and cover the court
so well."
In contrast, Barbara Rittner was thoroughly enjoying her first
day as captain for the two-time Fed Cup winners.
"To be honest, they (Indonesia) are a little outclassed out
there. They are missing their number one and they are more used
to playing on hard courts -- which is why, of course, we picked a
claycourt," she said.
Meanwhile, in Phuket, Croatia qualified for the World Group I
playoffs on Sunday after Jelena Kostanic and Sanda Mamic won the
decisive doubles rubber against Montinee Tangphong and Napaporn
Tongsalee 6-4, 6-2 in their World Group II tie for a 3-2 win.
In Poertschach, Austria, France, who lost to Russia in the
2004 final, rebounded from the upset of Natalie Dechy on Saturday
by little known Yvonne Meusburger to take a winning 3-1 lead over
the hosts on Sunday.
Razzano, who had brought her team level at 1-1 by defeating
surprise selection Tamira Paszek, a 14-year-old schoolgirl, on
Saturday, beat Meusburger 6-3, 7-6.
Dechy then overcame surprisingly strong resistance from Paszek
7-6, 6-2 to give France the win.
In Brindisi, Italy, Russia, without their three grand slam
singles winners Anastasia Myskina, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana
Kuznetsova, had Elena Dementieva to thank for taking both her
singles and putting the team ahead 2-1.
On Sunday, she beat Francesca Schiavone 4-6, 7-6, 6-0 after
beating Tathiana Garbin 6-4, 6-3.
Schiavone triumphed 7-5 6-3 over Dinara Safin in the opening
singles on Saturday.