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FEDCUP FINALS: CZECH REPUBLIC v RUSSIANovember 6, 2011Maria KirilenkoShamil TarpischevElena VesninaMOSCOW, RUSSIA L. HRADECKA/K. PESCHKE – M. Kirilenko/E. Vesnina THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. (Through translation.) Andrei Olkhovsky said about you, Mr. Tarpischev, that you had a great intuition. So what were your options for the doubles combination today, and why did you specifically pick up this pair combination? CAPTAIN TARPISCHEV: (Through translation.) I think my choice was logical enough. And if you look at the rankings, the doubles rankings of Vesnina and Kirilenko, they are ranked higher than anyone. Plus we had some unexpected last-ditch injuries, specifically Zvonareva, and Pavlyuchenkova also had some injuries throughout the year. So the realities forced us to take some emergency decisions, and those injuries specifically with Zvonareva came too late. So we had to call on Maria Kirilenko as an emergency. I'm really thankful for the girls to play. And she also had a week-long break, Kirilenko. I just think our doubles combination lacked some cohesiveness and tuning in the doubles combination. But we didn't make too many mistakes and errors throughout the match. It's just that Kvitova played beyond superlatives, and she was just great. Q. (Through translation.) Why didn't you pick up Pavlyuchenkova and Kuznetsova for the first days and then Kuznetsova would be playing as No. 2 on the team? CAPTAIN TARPISCHEV: (Through translation.) It is just that the Svetlana Kuznetsova is such a player she needs to get into the tie. She typically plays better on the second day. That's why she played well against Safarova. And class-wise, she was hard on Safarova and she played well today. She could have won against Kvitova. It just was unfortunate, some moments. So I don't think that option you are suggesting, meaning make play Pavlyuchenkova and Kuznetsova on the first day is the best option. I think we played a good match. We just were unfortunate in some moments. I just don't see any margin for us to make the team stronger than it was. ELENA VESNINA: (Through translation.) I don't understand why actually you ask such questions as to why he didn't play this or that player. It's just that we have an objective reality, and Sharmil Tarpischev took the right decisions and we didn't deliver. We were not up to task after that. The other factor is that the Czech team was really strong, and I could say that all the girls, we gave it 100%. And my impression is that we had play like five tournaments, so much energy we spent on the court. Q. (Through translation.) For Maria and Elena, do you agree with the fact that you didn't have enough time to tune up, to fine-tune your doubles play in your cohesiveness? Because you played together only once. And were there any other reasons for your defeat? MARIA KIRILENKO: (Through translation.) Well, it's true that we didn't have to play together too many times, but the lack of cohesiveness is not the main reason for the loss. It's just that the Czech players were playing aggressively. It is just in some moments the Russian doubles team was unfortunate. ELENA VESNINA: (Through translation.) It's not like the cohesiveness was not a factor. It's just that the Czech played unbelievably well. They played very clean tennis and left no chances for the Russian team. They were dominating the match. Q. (Through translation.) The captain of the team said that you girls have the highest doubles ranking. Have you had any discussions with respect to the next year maybe to play doubles again in light of the upcoming Olympics game? MARIA KIRILENKO: (Through translation.) I'd love to play with Elena Vesnina next year, but we have already reached an agreement with Nadia Petrova, and we're playing with Nadia Petrova next year. CAPTAIN TARPISCHEV: (Through translation.) I would like to add to this and make some corrections. In real terms, every player is trying to team up with the player in order to score the maximum points and to reach the requisite top 10 in doubles rating to get a direct birth to the Olympics, and we will get together all the players 10 days prior to the Wimbledon, and they will fine-tune their doubles' cohesiveness 10 days in the run up to Wimbledon next year. Q. (Through translation.) How unexpected was it for you the win of the Czech team in the finals if you take into account all those ties were played by the Czech Republic away? Not on their home court, but away? CAPTAIN TARPISCHEV: (Through translation.) Well, I think the Czech team won because they had Kvitova this year, and she was just phenomenal. She made a phenomenal breakthrough from top 50 to No. 2 in the world. Her result, I don't want to diminish the merits of the other members of the Czech team, but it was just our Russian team felt sort of feverish because of late-time injuries, like the one Zvonareva had. If we had Zvonareva, we would have had advantage over the Czech team. We would have had more options both in singles and doubles combinations. Q. (Through translation.) The team composition, how many players from Russia need to play to go to the Olympics? CAPTAIN TARPISCHEV: (Through translation.) You don't have the right interpretation of this rule. I mean, it's not mandatory for a player to play for a team. It's just that the player who refuses to play will not go to the Olympics. But the one who does not refuse will not be deprived of his right to go to the Olympics. Sometimes a player may -- ranking-wise a player may go to the Olympics, but if the team decide they are better off taking another player on the Olympic team, so that will be the decision. With respect to the upcoming tie, Russia versus Spain, I have reached agreements with Sharapova. I think Sharapova will play this first-round tie next year, and I think we should also lay the faster court to play with Spain. And again, the same old principle will work: We'll try to get together the best team possible. Q. (Through translation.) Maria and Elena, how hard is it for you to be sitting on the bench supporting for the singles players, to see Pavlyuchenkova and Kuznetsova, and then step on court and play doubles yourself? Maybe it's better if we had the Davis Cup formula where there is a special day for the doubles match. Also, what's the opinion of Sharmil Tarpischev on this issue? MARIA KIRILENKO: (Through translation.) It was a bit unusual situation for me because I took a long break from the national team, and they were cheering strongly for Svetlana and Anastasia during the singles. We were overwhelmed with emotion, so we were really tired after both singles and went back to the locker room to take some respite and try to get some sleep. ELENA VESNINA: (Through translation.) We were rooting hard for the girls. We had chances, spent lots of energy on the court. We went back to the locker room and tried to take a nap, and then went out and take some fresh air and do some stretching even. We were really supporting really well each other during the doubles match. It's just that we were not fortunate today. CAPTAIN TARPISCHEV: (Through translation.) Actually it was just a regulation adopted by the ITF when we make women play during two days in Fed Cup, and of course this is a women's competition. Should be different from the men's, from the Davis Cup, where they play three days. I'm more worried actually about the Olympic regulations, because they will make play tennis players during the Olympic Games for just nine days, and sometimes a player, a given player, can play singles, mixed doubles, and doubles in the same day. And this is just crazy. I think it is because there is some incongruency and lack of understanding between the WTA, ATP, and the ITF. They just don't want to make sacrifices to come up with a coherent Olympic schedule. Secondly, you should not forget that women do not play five sets. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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