/ 10 May 2000

KRUGER WITHDRAWS FROM FED CUP TEAM

JOANETTE Kruger has withdrawn from the South African Fed Cup team to play in a Euro/Africa Group One qualifying tournament in La Manga, Spain, next week. Kruger’s teammate Liezel Horn said that she received an e-mail from Kruger where she said that she was carrying a knee injury and did not want to jeopardise the chances of the team. Kruger, ranked 90th in the world, added, however, that she will be playing in next week’s Italian Open, a tournament she claims will not be as strenous as the Fed Cup. Chief Executive of the South African Tennis Association, Mohammed Sheik, said that Kruger’s withdrawal shows that players have little commitment towards playing for their country. Kruger has also jeopardised her chances of playing at the Sydney Olympics, as she has not played in a Fed Cup tie for three years running. Sheik also said that Kruger’s actions have put her out of Olympic contention. Kruger on Tuesday beat former Wimbledon semifinalist Natasha Zvereva 6-1, 6-1 in Berlin.