 Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 08 Feb 2009 |  Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 08 Feb 2009 |  Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 08 Feb 2009 |  Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 08 Feb 2009 |  Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 08 Feb 2009 |  Photographer: Ron Angle
Date: 08 Feb 2009 |
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| 07 Feb 2009 - Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex, Surprise - Erin Bruehl - USA v ARG | |
| USA and Argentina level in Surprise |
Jill Craybas was both mentally and physically prepared for her first Fed Cup match against Betina Jozami of Argentina. The night before, she even visualized playing the first match of the tie to get herself ready. And it definitely worked.
Craybas, the US Fed Cup team’s No. 1 singles player, won the opening rubber of the 2009 Fed Cup First Round tie between USA and Argentina, 62 61 over the 20-year-old Jozami in just over an hour at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex.
Her victory gave USA a 1-0 lead in the tie but Argentina’s No. 1 singles player, Gisela Dulko then evened up the tie at 1-1 after day one with a 62 75 win over the US team’s No. 2 player, Melanie Oudin.
Craybas regroups after slow start
Craybas started the opening match a little tight but regrouped after the first few games. She broke Jozami in the third game of the first set to take the 2-1 lead but the Argentine fought back, breaking the American to love in the next service game to tie it at 2-2.
But the tide turned again in the very next game on Jozami’s serve. Craybas earned her second break point of the game when Jozami hit a shot out and then took the set when another Jozami shot sailed long.
The game featured arguably the best point of the match when just after Craybas brought the score to deuce (the third of the game); Jozami sliced a drop shot that Craybas caught up to. The pair traded a few drop shots before Craybas finally hit one past Jozami. From there, the tide seemed to turn in the match as Craybas’s experience seemed to take over.
American relishes team experience
“It’s a completely different situation from any normal tournament that we play every week on the tour,” Craybas, 34, said of her early nerves. “You know, you’re playing for your country, so there’s a little bit more pressure I feel like. So it took me a few games to get into the match.
“I definitely got more comfortable as the match went along,” she added. “I think in the first four or five games, I tried to hit out a little bit more. Even if I missed it, it just eased some tension for me. Then after that I think I felt pretty good.”
Dulko then evened things up for Argentina in the second match and came out putting the pressure on the 17-year-old Oudin. She was in control of the first set, going up 3-0 to start the match.
Oudin in second set comeback
The American fought back in the second set, matching Dulko’s hard groundstrokes and tied it up 5-5 in the second set. With Dulko serving for the match up 5-4, Oudin converted the break to stay alive on her fourth break point of the game when the Argentine hit a shot into the net.
But Dulko, the world No. 44 regrouped and broke right back and then used outstanding serving to close out the match – on an ace.
“I served at 5-4 (and) I think this game she played good,” Dulko said. “But I was a little bit defensive with the nerves. It’s normal sometimes. I thought at 5-All, I have to go for it, don’t wait, because she’s not going to give anything. I just did it, and I think it works very well today.”
Fernandez expects tight second day
On Sunday, Dulko faces Craybas in the opening match followed by Oudin against Jozami and then the doubles rubber featuring Liezel Huber and Julie Ditty of the USA against Soledad Esperon and Aranza Salut of Argentina.
“Starting with the first match, each match is going to be huge,” US Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez said of Sunday. “There’s no other way to cut it. It’s going to come down probably to a couple points. It’s going to be who plays a little bit more aggressive when needed.”
Related Links on other websites
> Information from USTA
> Información en español - AAT
Related Links on Fedcup.com
> Tie Information
> Scorecards and stats from this tie
> Craybas and Jozami first up in USA
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