Tennis can take you to some pretty amazing places but most of the time it’s the same familiar places each year; except when it comes to Fed Cup by BNP Paribas and Davis Cup by BNP Paribas. Those two great events...
Tennis can take you to some pretty amazing places but most of the time it’s the same familiar places each year; except when it comes to Fed Cup by BNP Paribas and Davis Cup by BNP Paribas. Those two great events could have players and followers travelling to places a little bit off the tennis beaten track which adds to the excitement of the respective events.
Fed Cup and Davis Cup are never hum drum.
This weekend Australia plays host to two- time defending champions Italy in the Fed Cup and Australia’s southernmost state capital was chosen to stage the tie. Hobart hosts a lower level tour event but it’s the first time a Fed Cup tie has been held here. The last time a Davis Cup tie was held in Hobart was 1980.
It is a beautiful, quaint city with wonderful restaurants and gorgeous little shops and boutiques set in the original sandstone buildings that date back 150 years. The state of Tasmania was originally a penal colony.
Dare I say, Australia nor Italy will be taking any prisioners as they go all out to win.
The venue has one of the most stunning views. It looks across the Derwent River and the harbour where cruise ships to Antarctica sail from.
This is one of the stand-out first round ties. Australia is back in the World Group for the first time since 2004 and Italy has been one of the most dominant forces in Fed Cup the last half dozen years. The repeat of the French Open final is being eagerly awaited as world no.4 Francesca Schiavone leads Italy and world no.5 Samantha Stosur leads the home team.
Both sides have familiarity with the venue. Just before the Australian Open Aussie Jarmila Groth won the singles title here and Italians Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci won the doubles title.
