Five of the WTA’s Top 10 will be suiting up in country colors as the first round of Fed Cup World Group action kicks off next week.
In addition to World No.2 Simona Halep, No.5 Karolina Pliskova, No.6 Jelena Ostapenko, No.8 Venus Williams and No.10 Kristina Mladenovic, 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams will be making her return to action for the United States.
5 de las clasificadas en el Top Ten de la WTA, representaran los colores de sus respectivos paises en la primera ronda de la Copa Fed Grupos Mundiales cuyo competencia comienza la proxima semana.
En adicion a la numero 2 del Mundo Simona hales, la N.5 Karolina Pliskova, N6, Jelena Ostapenko, N6, Venus Williams y n.10 Kristina Mladenovic, la 23 veces ganadoras
Check out all the nominations for the World Group I and II ties taking place on February 2-4:
World Group I
USA vs Netherlands – Asheville, NC, USA
USA: CoCo Vandeweghe, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Lauren Davis
Netherlands: Richel Hogenkamp, Arantxa Rus, Demi Schuurs, Lesley Kerkhove
The defending champions United States will feature Serena Williams in their lineup as she makes her first return to competitive action since winning the 2017 Australian Open.
Czech Republic vs Switzerland – Prague, Czech Republic
Czech Republic: Karolina Pliskova, Barbora Strycova, Petra Kvitova, Lucie Safarova
Switzerland: Timea Bacsinszky, Belinda Bencic, Viktorija Golubic, Jil Teichmann
The Czechs have been dominant in Fed Cup in recent years, winning the title in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016, and look to extend their dominant streak against Switzerland.
France vs Belgium – La Roche-sur-Yon, France
France: Kristina Mladenovic, Pauline Parmentier, Amandine Hesse
Belgium: Elise Mertens, Kirsten Flipkens, Alison Van Uytvanck, Ysaline Bonaventure
Australian Open semifinalist Elise Mertens will hope to keep up her momentum as she leads Belgium – who are on a seven-tie Fed Cup streak – against the French.
Belarus vs Germany – Minsk, Belarus
Belarus: Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Aryna Sabalenka, Vera Lapko, Lidziya Marozava
Germany: Tatjana Maria, Anna-Lena Friedsam, Anna-Lena Groenefeld
Last year’s runners-up Belarus are in prime position to spring an upset as they take on a depleted Germany at home in Minsk.
World Group II
Romania vs Canada – Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Romania: Simona Halep, Sorana Cirstea, Irina-Camelia Begu, Raluca Olaru
Canada: Carol Zhao, Bianca Andreescu, Katherine Sebov, Gabriela Dabrowski
Former World No.1 Simona Halep will lead the Romanian team as they host a young Canada squad in Cluj-Napoca.
Italy vs Spain – Chieti, Italy
Italy: Sara Errani, Jasmine Paolini, Deborah Chiesa, Elisabetta Cocciaretto
Spain: Carla Suarez Navarro, Lara Arruabarrena, Georgina Garcia-Perez, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez
Veterans Sara Errani and Carla Suarez Navarro will lead their respective young squads in a classic Fed Cup rivalry.
Slovakia vs Russia – Bratislava, Slovakia
Slovakia: Magdalena Rybarikova, Jana Cepelova, Viktoria Kuzmova, Anna Karolina Schmiedlova
Russia: Natalia Vikhlyantseva, Anna Kalinskaya, Anastasia Potapova, Veronika Kudermetova
2016 Wimbledon girls champion Anastasia Potapova makes her Fed Cup debut to join a young Russia squad – her compatriots have all played just one tie each – against Slovakia.
Australia vs Ukraine – Canberra, Australia
Australia: Ashleigh Barty, Daria Gavrilova, Destanee Aiava, Casey Dellacqua
Ukraine: Marta Kostyuk, Lyudmyla Kichenko, Nadiia Kichenok, Daria Lopatetska
Australia and Ukraine take to the grass courts as Australian Open breakout star Marta Kostyuk makes her Fed Cup debut against a stacked home squad.