Fed Cup Action

Player Field Update: Fed Cup Action

Just up the road in Asheville, NC, play is set to begin as round one of Fed Cup action kicks off. The Fed Cup is an international team-tournament that takes place throughout the course of the year. World Group I and World Group II begin the first round of play this weekend to see which teams advance to the World Group semifinals and playoffs taking place at the end of April. The Volvo Car Open has a handful of players representing their countries who will also be participating in our tournament this April.

Here is a quick update on some players and story-lines to keep an eye on as the Fed Cup gets underway….

Team USA: The main headline for the Americans is the return of Serena Williams to the court. Serena gave birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia, in September and has since been slowly making her way back to competitive tennis. The Fed Cup will mark the first time fans have seen her play in a competitive match since the announcement of her pregnancy last April. Serena’s sister, Venus, will also join team USA for the tournament where she’s currently ranked No. 8 in the world. Rounding out the team for the U.S. is No. 17 CoCo Vandeweghe, Lauren Davis and Team Captain Kathy Rinaldi-Stunkel. It should be an exciting tournament for the U.S. team as the American ladies are returning for their shot at a second consecutive title after defeating Belarus in the 2017 finals. The victory was the first time the U.S. women had captured the Fed Cup tie since 2000. The Volvo Car Open wants to wish team USA the best of luck in their quest for back to back titles!

Remember action in Asheville, NC begins this Saturday, February 10th. Don’t miss out on a chance to watch some of the most exciting team action in tennis! We’ll be rooting on from just South in Charleston, but some of our Volvo Car Open team will be there live to cheer on the home country.

Other Players to Watch:

No. 21 Petra Kvitova and No. 31 Lucie Safarova: Both players will represent the third-seeded Czech team at this year’s Fed Cup in Prague. Safarova has gotten off to a slow start in 2018 with a few early-round losses at the Australian Open and Sydney. However, the Czech star has a home country advantage on her side. Safarova’s teammate World No. 21 Petra Kvitova, is red-hot coming into the Fed Cup. Kvitova has been working her way back into top-form and after a thrilling performance and eventual win in the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy last week, we think she’ll be one to watch this weekend. Kvitova has eliminated any doubt about her toughness and desire to establish herself as one of the best players in the world once again. It’ll be an exciting tournament with plenty of story-lines for the Czech Republic. The Czech team opens tournament play with a draw against Switzerland in the first round. Play is set to begin February 10th, at 1:30 pm EST.

WTA No. 11 Johanna Konta:

Konta has led Great Britain a step closer to the Fed Cup World Group II playoffs. She defeated Estonia’s Maria Joao Koehler and Anett Kontaveit to keep the dream alive. The British team face Hungary on Saturday in an attempt at a spot in April’s World Group II playoff.Look for Konta, the British World No. 1, to make some waves in upcoming tournaments as she gets ready for the 2018 Volvo Car Open.