No playoffs for Israel, but bright future ahead

“This campaign is a success,” Israel Federation Cup Captain Lior Mor said. “We saw a new young team develop before our eyes."

By ALLON SINAI
shahar peer_311 (photo credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS)
shahar peer_311
(photo credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Israel Fed Cup captain Lior Mor was optimistic about his team’s future prospects after seeing it finish its Europe/Africa Zone Group I campaign in Eilat on Saturday placed in the 5-6 position.
Despite beating Bulgaria 2-1 on Friday, the national team lost all hope of advancing to the World Group II playoffs after Poland beat Luxembourg 2-1 to finish top of Pool B.
However, Shahar Pe’er and Julia Glushko were still determined to finish their campaign on a high and clinched Saturday’s 2-1 win over Romania after teaming up to beat Alexandra Dulgheru and Cristina Doni 6-4, 6-3 in the decisive doubles match.
Earlier on, Glushko’s threematch winning streak was snapped by a 6-4, 6-1 defeat to Monica Niculescu, but Pe’er beat Dulgheru 6-0, 7-5 before Israel secured the victory with a win in the doubles.
“This campaign is a success,” Mor said. “We saw a new young team develop before our eyes. If we continue like this we will achieve great success in the future. We weren’t that far from making the playoffs this year, and I believe this team will go on to accomplish a lot.”
Like Glushko, Pe’er also won three of her four singles matches, and Israel’s number 1 was very pleased with the team’s overall performance in Eilat.
“We had a really good campaign,” Pe’er said. “Of course we wanted to reach the playoffs, but we nevertheless beat three excellent teams and I think this could really help us in the future.”
The revelation of the four days in Eilat was the play of Glushko, who had only won one of her previous five Fed Cup singles matches.
“I had a superb week,” Glushko said. “Everyone has been waiting for me to breakthrough since my days as a youth player, and I feel that I have now matured. I’m sure this past week will help me take my career forward.”