AKTUALNOŚCI

The panoramic view from the International Congress Center in Cracow is spectacular. The fate of the Poland – Russia Fed Cup by BNP Paribas tie hangs in the balance inside of the structure.

The end result will of course be decided on the court but before that happens we must first find out who will play in the opening match.

The ceremony was over quickly, it whizzed past like an ace. The BNP Paribas representative took matters into her own hands and drew the first pair – Agnieszka Radwanska and Svietlana Kuznetsova. The rest was a formality. In accordance with Fed Cup rules Maria Sharapova will meet Ursula Radwanska in the second match of the day. Sunday will bring us the showdown of the two tennis heavyweights – Agnieszka Radwanska and Maria Sharapova. Ula will play against Svetlana next and finally we will get to watch the doubles – most likely featuring Alicja Rosolska and Klaudia Jans-Ignacik vs. Vitalia Diatchenko and Anastasia Pavlyutchenkova.

The stage is set, time to breathe. After a photo op the teams were asked a few questions about the draw.

– I always say the same thing: nothing has changed, we still need three points to win. Who walks onto the court first makes no difference – stated the Polish team captain Tomasz Wiktorowski.

Understandably both teams were reluctant to discuss tactics.

– We will decide before the match, I will not get into the details – declared Radwanska.

Details were not discussed by Maria Sharapova either but she knows how to play against Agnieszka. She has won 11 of their 13 matches.

– I have beaten her more often than she has beaten me but I will not be thinking about past results. I am well rested after my trip from Melbourne, I had a couple of practice sessions here and I am ready – stated the Russian. – I am also very pleased that my family is here to cheer me on, I usually play in tournaments that are difficult for them to travel to.

The support of her family may come in handy as the Polish team will be supported by 15 thousand Polish fans.