Maria Sharapova has been dropped from the Russian Fed Cup team after yet another last-minute withdrawal at last week's Fed Cup semi-finals against the US.

The decision to leave out the tall, blonde beauty was confirmed by Fed Cup captain Shamil Tarpishchev, who stated that he didn't think it appropriate to invite Sharapova to the Fed Cup final.

The decision to leave out the world No. 2 from the Russian team was arguably made through frustration, after repeated withdrawals due to 'mystery injuries'. Tarpischev was clearly angered and stated that Sharapova should forget the promises she made to play Fed Cup. He went on to say that it would be inappropriate to allow her to play in the Fed Cup when the team managed to reach the final without her.

'The decision of Sharapova to pull out (of Fed Cup) represents her ongoing lack of commitment to play for her country'


Tarpischev's suspicions about Sharapova's withdrawals also had political undertones as he claimed that her decision to pull-out from the team yet again was fuelled by pressure from her advisers, who are American. He went on to say that the American advisers would never allow her to play for Russia.

Regardless of the validity of such accusations, the decision to drop Sharapova will probably not have a detrimental impact on the team, which is why Tarpishchev was so outspoken about this decision. Russia have many capable players, and showed this by defeating the U.S. 3-2 last week.

Although Svetlana Kuznetsova also pulled out with injury, Tarpishchev is still keen on inviting her to play for Russia in the finals. This is probably due to her loyalty to the Russian team, playing several ties in the past, including the first round in May, when Russia whitewashed Spain 5-0.

Nadia Petrova, Anna Chakvetadze and Elena Vesnina are likely to complete the Russian lineup and even without Sharapova, the Russian team appear strong enough to defeat the Italians in the final. Russia also have home advantage, as the final will be played at Moscow's Luzhniki Arena, an indoor stadium which can hold 10,000 spectators.

Sharapova's decision to pull out ahead of the clash with the U.S. represents her ongoing lack of commitment to play for her country and it will almost certainly harm her chances of playing in the Beijing Olympics next year as eligibility requires a commitment to compete in the Fed Cup.