2008 Fed Cup Play Begins January 28
December 18, 2007
Canada’s Fed Cup team will soon be back in action in the Americas Zone Group I. Play will take place on the outdoor clay courts at the Club Campestre de Medellin in Medellin, Colombia the week of January 28, 2008.
The round robin format involves seven teams split into two pools. There will be three teams in Pool A and four teams in Pool B. The winners of each pool will face-off against each other with the winning team advancing to the World Group II Playoffs which will take place in April 2008.
The seven teams competing for that one spot are Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Puerto Rico and Uruguay.
Canada finds itself back in the Americas Zone Group I after falling 4-1 to Argentina in their World Group II playoff tie in July 2007. It was a tough match-up, taking place on outdoor clay at the Cordoba Lawn Tennis Club in Cordoba, Argentina. Canada’s only point came when Blainville, Quebec’s Aleksandra Wozniak defeated the top-ranked Argentinean player Gisela Dulko in the third rubber, 0-6, 6-2, 6-2.
The venue chosen for this year’s round robin will be familiar to Canada’s Fed Cup team. The last time Canada took part in a zonal round robin was also at the Club Campestre de Medellin in April 2006. The team of Wozniak, Stephanie Dubois (Laval, Quebec), Marie-Eve Pelletier (Repentigny, Quebec) and Sharon Fichman (Toronto) posted a perfect 9-0 record through three round robin ties beating Uruguay, Chile and Mexico without dropping a set. They then faced Brazil in the play-off and completed the sweep by defeating them 3-0.
These victories propelled Canada into the World Group II playoff where they defeated Argentina 3-2 on home soil at the Royal Glenora Club in Edmonton, Alberta in July 2006. The victory over Argentina set the stage for Canada’s Fed Cup team to be in World Group II for 2007. Unfortunately, losses to both Israel and Argentina have forced Canada back into zonal play for 2008.
Canada’s hopes at regaining entry into the World Group II playoffs will rest on the shoulders of Stephanie Dubois and Aleksandra Wozniak, the two top-ranked Canadian females on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Dubois had a stellar year capturing two singles titles and four doubles championships including the $50K Challenger in Vancouver with Pelletier. She finished the year ranked No.107 on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Ranking which automatically qualifies her for the main draw at the 2008 Australian Open. Wozniak reached her first Tour singles final at Fes, Morocco in May 2007 and reached a career-high ranking of No.83 on May 21, 2007.
Though Canada’s Fed Cup team will not officially be announced until 10 days prior to the event, it is almost certain that Canada’s success will depend on the continued excellence of these two women.