" However what are ready sparking. You know please be joined by US Fed cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez and Mary -- the United States will play Italy. In the Fed cup final November Venus and Serena Williams recently said that they want to play for the US what was your reaction that news."

" I'm thrilled mean Venus and Serena -- the best of the best they've been so good and sport of tennis or American tennis and they've been very very. Supportive this year. On me in Fed cup and they wanted to play this last if they of the Czech Republic weren't able to for different reasons but you know hopefully going to be healthy and and it's the best thing possible to go to Italy. You're Fed cup team beat the Czech Republic without Venus and Serena how satisfying was that comeback victory. It was very exciting very emotional you know it's so nice right now for me to be trying to build the next generation of American women and both ties that I've had so far. There's been a young -- come through and really over. But she. With their game and with the belief and not come through big time in his last one it was -- And done she really played phenomenal tennis and kept her nerves it was not easy playing away with the crowd. Really out loud against -- but it was very very rewarding. Dinar Safina is -- women's number one ranked player in the world but Serena Williams says she's still the best you we were Serena. You know answering is healthy and playing at her best to me she's the best one she's the one to beat unfortunately she had been healthy for the last couple months. So that's you know hopefully going to change soon you know certainly coming up -- the big -- French Open Wimbledon. But you know dinar Safina has had an outstanding last. Twelve months and reaching the finals of the French finals of the Australian Open. Have done wonders for her she's gotten physically very fit. And she's going to be difficult I think plays going to be probably whenever best surfaces -- she's going to be definitely the favorite going to the French Open Serena will be one of the players to watch the upcoming French Open how many players do you think have a legitimate chance to win in Paris. You know it's pretty wide open I gotta tell you. It you know neutralizes the power game a bit the slow red -- so. You know lot of Russians the lookout for whether -- Safina of -- team. Kuznetsova has been playing really well that and Yanukovich. The defending champion has been struggling a little bit Ivanovic. As a rank. And -- was the young ones coming up with playing very well so there's a lot of possibilities and you know hopefully Serena will be healthy and penises -- playing well so hopefully they can also make a run for. Marriage are fewer in charge of women's tennis what changes would you make in the sport. While well huh. A lot of things they're trying to do already on the PGA and on the ATP make a shorter season. I feel -- should be maybe -- or -- they get the top players playing against each other. More often. And these are all things that both tours there are working on you know as we speak it's not easy but -- a couple of things -- that really improve but I mean I'm very proud of is that. In the United States participation is up. It's up in the last ten years 43% in the last year alone. It's up almost 10% though the sales are good for racquets and balls. More kids are playing this month his tennis month in this country and now obvious he's a great job of motives or with tennis block party. Across the country at a tennis month dot com. If finally near you and you know I have two children on really encouraging them -- this sport be healthy be active. He -- any age any ability level. So that's something that I am very pleased with that of course it works every at every level the top pros are doing well you're going to see it affect the rest of the sport. Finally may is national tennis month what should casual sports fans know about the state of tennis in 2000 now. It's fantastic it's the most. Growing sport traditional sport we have right now in the country I think one of the reasons very affordable on during these tough economic times tennis is played mainly in and now public parts of 8% tennis is played in public facilities that of people don't know so. If -- tennis -- dot com you'll find one of those facilities near you. Of the instructors or this month with a block parties and pick up a racquet there -- got the balls children now have a new format a quick start. That's really shrinking the size of tennis father at their level like people offer for baseball's smaller racquets. Smaller courts and I think that's been a big success of the last couple years so. Surprisingly what we're doing really well in tennis in this country. I'm Mary Joe thanks so much for being with us for more -- videos make -- can log out of fox sports -- now I'm ready Sparage -- lookin'."