Week #17 preview: Fed Cup, World Group semifinals

This week is devoted to women's team competition, also known as Fed Cup, featuring the World Group semifinals. Russia is looking for its 4th title in the last 5 years and its powerful team composed of Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anna Chakvetadze, Dinara Safina and Elena Vesnina is suppossed to find little opposition on the US team, missing the Williams sisters and Lindsay Davenport and with no Top 100 players. On the other semifinal, China may reach the final for the first time in a year highlighted by Beijing Olympic Games. Despite the absence of their best player (Na Li), Shuai Peng, Zi Yan and Jie Zheng are the favorites over a Spanish team missing Anabel Medina and Virginia Ruano and with Nuria Llagostera as only Top 100 player.
World Group play-offs will feature some exciting ties with top quality players. Also play-offs for World Group II are played, with an interesting tie between Croatia and Serbia.

Fed Cup, April 26-27, 2008
Semifinal World Group:
Russia v USA
China v Spain

World Group play-offs:
Italy v Ukraine
Japan v France
Argentina v Germany
Israel v Czech Republic

World Group II play-offs:
Belgium v Colombia
Austria v Switzerland
Slovak Republic v Uzbekistan
Croatia v Serbia