Serena Williams to play Fed Cup for Olympics shot

Serena Williams, making a furious comeback after a yearlong injury hiatus, needed just 16 minutes to win her first set over Alona Bondarenko at the Rogers Cup in Toronto on Tuesday night and went on to a 6-0, 6-3 victory. Williams, a 13-time Grand Slam champion, then took a giant step toward the 2012 London Olympics by declaring that she plans to compete for the U.S. Fed Cup team next year, something she hasn’t done since 2007.

She said she would join the U.S. team for two series. Olympic rules state that to be eligible, women have to have been available for Fed Cup in two years from 2009 to ’12. Williams didn’t play Fed Cup in 2008 or 2009, and sat out from July 2010 to July 2011 because of injuries, so she and the U.S. Tennis Association are hoping the International Tennis Federation will tweak the rule and let Williams play, so long as she participates in two Fed Cup weekends in early 2012.

“I am committing to play in both of the U.S. Fed Cup team’s ties in 2012,” Williams said in a statement released Wednesday. “After being physically unable to participate in the last few ties, I am eager to compete in Fed Cup and help my country return to the World Group.”

The United States plays host to Belarus in a second-tier group match Feb. 4-5. The winner advances to a playoff in April, with that winner moving to the top-level World Group and to compete for the 2013 Fed Cup title. The Belarus-United States loser is relegated to a playoff, and the loser of that weekend is dropped to the third-tier.

The USTA is supporting Williams’ effort to play in the Olympics: “Given the extenuating circumstances that kept Serena out of competition for nearly a year with serious health issues and unable to play Fed Cup in 2011, from the USTA’s perspective, Serena will be in good standing and eligible for the 2012 United States Olympic tennis team if she participates in both Fed Cup ties in 2012.”

Williams, 29, last played Fed Cup in the 2007 quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Williams’ chances of winning in Toronto look promising, with the exit of top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki, the defending champion, who lost Wednesday in the second round to Roberta Vinci. Also, Kim Clijsters retired from her opening match Tuesday because of an abdominal muscle injury, and it is not known when she will return.

Clijsters won the 2011 Australian Open but struggled with ankle, shoulder and wrist injuries through the spring and summer. She has said she likely will retire next summer.

Source: The Miami Herald