Russia’s highest-ranked tennis player, Maria Sharapova, won’t be able to help her country in the Fed Cup semi-finals against Serbia.

­“Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadya Petrova, Ekaterina Makarova and Vera Zvonareva will play in the semis,” Shamil Tarpischev, the Russian Fed Cup team’s coach, Shamil Tarpischev, told RIA-Novosti.“The problem with Sharapova is that all of her preparations for the tournaments are taking place in the US. So if she comes to the Fed Cup semi-final match, she won’t be able to have a normal adaptation or normal training. The period of three to five days isn’t enough to adapt.”

“In my opinion, it would’ve been better if the Fed Cup matches were held a week later after the Grand Slams because it would’ve made it a lot easier for the players to prepare,” he added.

World No.3 Sharapova brought Russia a point in their quarter-final tie with Spain over the weekend.

The 24-yaer-old eased past Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-2, 6-1, but illness prevented her appearing in the second of her scheduled matches.  

“Initially, we planned that Sharapova would play two games,” the coach explained. “But on the eve of his first meeting on Saturday she caught a cold and played in a so to say borderline condition.”

Maria hasn’t been a regular member of her country’s Fed Cup squad, with her current stats in the competition amounting to three wins in four games.  

Team Russia will take on Serbia in the semis, scheduled for April 21 – 22, with defending champs the Czech Republic and Italy battling it out for the second spot in the final.