Russia's Fed Cup Captain, Shamil Tarpishchev has called on the International Tennis Federation to move Russia's tie with the USA to a neutral country after he continues to be denied a U.S. visa.
The earliest Tarpishchev will be able to arrive in Vermont is Thursday, and his absence is a major blow to a Russian side severely hit by injury, missing the likes of Sharapova, Kuznetsova and Dementieva. The tie takes place from July 14 to July 15, and if Tarpishchev isn't able to arrive in time, the Fed Cup coach, Aleksandr Volkov will take charge of the team. “Volkov rang me today from Italy, as he's on his way to the States, and said, ‘Shamil, what are we going to do without you?’ He said the girls all have different characters, and for one person to train them all is just unreal,” Shamil said.