Russia leave out Maria from Fed Cup team

Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova has been left out of Russia's Fed Cup first-round tie against Italy later this month because of her hectic tournament schedule.


Tennis Federation head and Fed Cup captain Shamil Tarpishchev, who had been to Miami to try and persuade the 17-year-old to join the squad, told Reuters: "I spoke to her father and we decided not to (include her).



"It is a burden to play all the tournaments in a row."



Tarpishchev named a squad of French Open champion Anastasia Myskina, French and U.S. Open runner-up Elena Dementieva, Elena Bovina and Dinara Safina to begin the defence of Russia's 2004 title.



He did not rule out selecting Sharapova later in the event, despite media speculation that the Florida-based teenager might switch her allegiance to the United States, where she has lived since childhood.