fed cup 2010 – first round

That’s Bojana Jovanovski, Ana Jovanovic, captain Dejan Vranes, Jelena Jankovic, and Ana Ivanovic at the official Fed Cup dinner on the eve of the tie between Serbia and Russia. As you can see from the schedule below, the headcase Ivanovic will go up against Svetlana Kuznetsova first, and then Jelena, whose back injury could hamper her performance, will then face the hard-hitting Alisa Kleybanova.

Russian team: Captain Shamil Tarpischev, Vera Dushevina, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Alisa Kleybanova.

If the tie was based solely on footwear, the Serbians win. What is up with Anastasia’s red bra??

Who’s playing whom + TV: Here’s the line-up for all four World Group ties (plus TC’s coverage of the US/France tie) — after the cut…

Serbia vs. Russia in Belgrade, Serbia
R1 – A.IVANOVIC (SRB) v. S.KUZNETSOVA (RUS)
R2 – J.JANKOVIC (SRB) v. A.KLEYBANOVA (RUS)
R3 – J.JANKOVIC (SRB) v. S.KUZNETSOVA (RUS)
R4 – A.IVANOVIC (SRB) v. A.KLEYBANOVA (RUS)
R5 – A.IVANOVIC / J.JANKOVIC (SRB) v. V.DUSHEVINA / A.PAVLYUCHENKOVA (RUS)

France vs. USA in Lievin, France
R1 – A.CORNET (FRA) v. B.MATTEK-SANDS (USA)
R2 – P.PARMENTIER (FRA) v. M.OUDIN (USA)
R3 – A.CORNET (FRA) v. M.OUDIN (USA)
R4 – P.PARMENTIER (FRA) v. B.MATTEK-SANDS (USA)
R5 – S.COHEN-ALORO / J.COIN (FRA) v. L.HUBER / B.MATTEK-SANDS (USA)
USA’s Christina McHale is not currently in the schedule.

Ukraine vs. Italy in Kharkiv, Ukraine
R1 – A.BONDARENKO (UKR) v. F.SCHIAVONE (ITA)
R2 – K.BONDARENKO (UKR) v. F.PENNETTA (ITA)
R3 – A.BONDARENKO (UKR) v. F.PENNETTA (ITA)
R4 – K.BONDARENKO (UKR) v. F.SCHIAVONE (ITA)
R5 – M.KORYTTSEVA / V.KUTUZOVA (UKR) v. S.ERRANI / R.VINCI (ITA)

Czech Republic vs. Germany in Brno, Czech Republic
R1 – L.SAFAROVA (CZE) v. A.GROENEFELD (GER)
R2 – P.KVITOVA (CZE) v. A.PETKOVIC (GER)
R3 – L.SAFAROVA (CZE) v. A.PETKOVIC (GER)
R4 – P.KVITOVA (CZE) v. A.GROENEFELD (GER)
R5 – L.HRADECKA / K.PESCHKE (CZE) v. K.BARROIS / T.MALEK (GER)

Speaking of schedules, you can watch the US/France Fed Cup tie on Tennis Channel. The live coverage will be in the mornings on Saturday and Sunday; there will be encore in the evenings on both days:

Saturday, Feb. 6:
8:30 a.m. – Live Singles #1
10:30 a.m. – Live Singles #2
7:30 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #1
9:30 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #2

Sunday, Feb. 7:
8 a.m. – Live Singles #3
10 a.m. – Live Singles #4
12 p.m. – Live Doubles
7:30 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #3
9:30 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #4
11:30 p.m. – Instant Encore Doubles

(Fed Cup photos by Srdjan Stevanovic/Serbian Tennis Association)