Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova has 10 days to decide whether to join the Russian Fed Cup team, the country's tennis chief has said.
"She received a firm offer to join our squad for a first round tie against Italy on April 23-24," Shamil Tarpishchev, who is also Russia's Fed Cup captain, told Reuters in an interview on Friday.
Tarpishchev just returned from Miami where he spent several days trying to persuade the 17-year-old and her father Yuri to commit themselves to Russia's cause.
"It's basically very simply. She (Sharapova) must say yes or no before April 10 when I will announce the team," he said. "So we'll just wait and see what happens and take it from there."
However, he refused to be drawn on media speculation that the Florida-based Russian might reject the offer and switch her allegiance to the U.S., where she has lived since childhood.
Russian press has reported that the Siberian-born player was invited to join the U.S. Fed Cup team last year and although she denied any offer was made, questions about her future remain.
Sharapova has been in great form lately as she beat two former world number ones, Venus Williams and Justine Henin-Hardene, this week to reach the Nasdaq-100 final.
The win in Saturday's final against another former top player, Kim Clijsters, would take Sharapova up a notch to number two in the world as she pursues her dream of being number one.
"No question, Sharapova has been our best and most consistent player so far this year and if she commits herself to playing for Russia, we definitely have a great chance of defending our Fed Cup title," Tarpishchev said.
He also said that French Open champion Anastasia Myskina and French and U.S. Open finallist Elena Dementieva already made themselves available to play against Italy.
Iternal Squabbles
On paper Russia would have the strongest squad with possibly three grand slam champions in Myskina, Sharapova and U.S. Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova and two-time runner-up Dementieva joining forces.
But internal problems could spoil Russia's campaign.
Myskina led Russia to their first Fed Cup title on home soil last November by winning her two singles rubbers in the final against defending champions France before teaming up with Vera Zvonareva in the decisive doubles to clinch a 3-2 victory.
The triumph, however, was overshadowed by squabbles in Russia's camp after Myskina lashed out at Sharapova and her father, accusing them of being disrespectful to her.
Myskina said she would stop playing for Russia if the Wimbledon champion was invited to join the team next year.
The two players have since publicly patched up their differences, still Tarpishchev will have a tough job of moulding his temperamental charges together to make a strong team.
To make matters worse, Dementieva and Kuznetsova also had a verbal spat shortly after their heated showdown in last year's U.S. Open final.
"Well, I'm not a babysitter and this is not a kindergarten," Tarpishchev said in reference to the Fed Cup team.
"We have certain rules within the team that everyone must follow. Otherwise, they're out. As for Sharapova, it's up to her to decide. The ball is clearly in her court now," he added.
April 2nd, 2005
Posted by: Marco
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