ISRAEL: TENNIS - Russian and Israeli women's tennis teams prepare for their upcoming Federation Cup tie in Tel Aviv

Record ID: 1532471

  • Title: ISRAEL: TENNIS - Russian and Israeli women's tennis teams prepare for their upcoming Federation Cup tie in Tel Aviv
  • Date: 1st February 2008
  • Summary: PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PHOTO AT PRESS CONFERENCE RUSSIAN WOMEN'S TENNIS TEAM POSING FOR PHOTOS
  • Embargoed: 17th February 2008 03:17
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVAE9LFLSLPO4JX8YR2JJ3N80ZKG
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Israeli women's tennis star Shahar Peer and Russian world number five Maria Sharapova talk about their matches at this weekend's Fed Cup tie in Israel.
    Israel's women players said on Thursday (January 31) they will be realising a dream when they face Fed Cup holders Russia in a World Group first round tie near Tel Aviv at the weekend.
    Israeli No. 1 Shahar Peer will open against the Russians' nominated No.
    2 player, Dinara Safina, followed by Israeli 35-year-old No. 2 Tzipi Obziler taking on world number 5 glamour icon Maria Sharapova who will be making her long-awaited debut in the competition.

    "We've never been in the world group. It's the first time for us being the top eight, so it's kind of a dream for us being at home, playing in front of our crowd, and try to go for the next step to be in the semi-final. I know it's going to be hard. But we like challenges, and we're here to do our best," Peer said.
    Sharapova said that the match-ups decided on Thursday (January 31) were not of much concern to her or her team.

    "You know, each girl is going to play an opponent each day and I think our main concern is just to get a win at the end of the day, no matter who we play," Sharapova told a news conference in Herzliya.
    Though she's once of the tennis world's most successful and watched stars, Sharapova told reporters the life of a tennis professional is not always what it seems.

    "The only thing people get to see is our press conferences and our matches, and the more you play, the more they get to see you on court. But they don't get to see us practising every day, and being in the gym, and waking up at seven in the morning and going out on the court when it's freezing cold, and going to sleep at eight at night because we're absolutely exhausted, and when we have parties to go to sometimes we can't because we have practise the next morning. There are a lot of downfalls, but not a lot of them see them, but I think we like it that way," Sharapova said.
    Israel is currently riding a wave of tennis euphoria after doubles successes at the Australian Open for men's duo Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich and women's No. 1 Peer, who lost in the doubles final with Belarus partner Victoria Azarenko.
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