Svetlana Kuznetsova - Fed Cup Participation

Fed Cup Participation

Kuznetsova joined team Russia in 2004 in the doubles and singles competition. Her teammates were Myskina and Zvonareva in singles and Likhovtseva in doubles. They competed against Australia in the first round in the Luzhniki Stadium in an indoor carpet court. Kuznetsova defeated Molik and Molik/Rennae Stubbs. The end result was 4–1 for Russia; Myskina lost to Molik. In the quarterfinal they faced Argentina in Buenos Aires. Kuznetsova lost to Gisela Dulko. In the doubles she defeated Dulko and partner Patricia Tarabini. The final score was the same as in the first round, 4–1. In the semifinal they faced Austria. Again in Moscow, Kuznetsova defeated Yvonne Meusburger, Daniela Kix and Meusburger and Patricia Wartusch all in straight sets. The final score was a straight 5–0. In the final they faced France only three days after the semifinal. Kuznetsova beat Dechy, but lost to Tatiana Golovin. Russia won the final 3–2 for its first Fed Cup victory.

Kuznetsova did not participate in the next two years. She rejoined in 2007 and defeated Spain's Lourdes Domínguez Lino and Anabel Medina Garrigues in the quarterfinal. She was elected in the final that year. There, she won against Mara Santangelo and Schiavone from Italy. Russia again won that year's Cup.

The next year she again participated. Playing against the United States she defeated 282nd-ranked Ahsha Rolle in the semifinal. In contrast, Kuznetsova lost the doubles competition with partner Elena Vesnina, beaten by Liezel Huber and Vania King. In the end, Russia defeated the US 3–2. In the final, Russia defeated Spain as it had the prior year. Kuznetsova won against Carla Suárez Navarro and Garrigues. Team Russia won the 2008 Fed Cup with 4–0.

In 2009 Kuznetsova joined the group again. She played against China in the quarterfinal and won in the singles over opponent Zi Yan, and in the doubles, together with Dementieva, over Tian-Tian Sun and Zi Yan, after losing the first set. Russia won against China in a straight 5–0 final scoreline. Russia lost to Italy in the semifinal. Kuznetsova was the only winner, defeating Pennetta.

At the 2010 Fed Cup, Russia defeated Serbia in the quarterfinal 3–2. There, Kuznetsova won two of three matches, beating Ivanović, and Ivanović and Janković in doubles, with partner Kleybanova. She lost to Janković.

Kuznetsova joined the Russian team in 2011. In the first round they faced France on 5 and 6 February. In the first round, Kuznetsova was defeated by Alizé Cornet, but defeated Virginie Razzano a day later. She teamed up with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and defeated Cornet/Julie Coin in the doubles. Russia became just the fourth nation to come back from 0–2 down in a Fed Cup tie since the best-of-five-match format was introduced to the World Group in 1995. Russia defeated Italy in the semifinal in 5–0. There, Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Roberta Vinci. Russia succeeded, the first time since 2008, in a final in the Fed Cup. Russia, however, lost against Czech Republic in 3–2.

The first round of the 2012 Fed Cup saw three wins in the single competition, two of which were made by Kuznetsova, the first against Silvia Soler Espinosa, the second against Carla Suárez Navarro. The pair Kuznetsova/Petrova retired in their last match due to Kuznetsova's fatigue, but Russia still won in 3–2. Team Russia lost against the Serbian team in the semifinal, 2–3. Although winning the first match against Ana Ivanovic in three sets, Kuznetsova was later defeated by Jelena Jankovic in two straight sets.