45-Day Countdown Starts for Fed Cup First Round

Today marks the 45-day countdown until the start of the 2019 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group and World Group II first round ties taking place on 9-10 February.

Reigning Fed Cup champions Czech Republic will start their title defence with a home tie in Ostrava against a Romanian side that could feature world No. 1 Simona Halep.

The last time the two nations met was in 2016 when the Czechs clinched the contest 3-2 in a deciding doubles rubber after world No. 8 Karolina Pliskova contributed to all three points.

Last year’s runners-up, USA, also get a home tie against old rivals Australia. The two nations have won 25 Fed Cup titles between them but the Aussies have not got the better of their North American opponents since 1984.

Alicia Molik’s team will be looking to end that run when they travel to Asheville, North Carolina. The last time Australia faced USA was in 2016 and it was a 4-0 win for the Americans.

Belgium hosts France in a local derby in Liege as new Fed Cup captain Johan van Herck looks to make an instant impact on the home side.

His team, which features up-and-coming talents like Elise Mertens and Alison van Uytvanck, was almost single-handedly taken down by Kristina Mladenovic against France last year.

The French, who also have a new skipper in the shape of Julien Benneteau, have only lost once against Belgium in five previous meetings.

The last World Group tie features another repeat of a 2018 first round encounter between Germany and Belarus.

An under-strength German team pulled off a remarkable win last year but since then Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka has shot up the rankings to finish 2018 as world No. 13.

Germany will be hoping Angelique Kerber is on hand in Braunschweig as they look to reach the Fed Cup semifinals for the second year running.

As well as World Group action, February 9-10 also sees the four World Group II ties taking place. Switzerland will host Italy, Latvia will take on Slovakia, Japan is at home to Spain, and Netherlands welcomes Canada.

All eight nations are vying for the four spots in April’s World Group play-offs, where they play the four losers of the World Group first round ties.

February is, however, not all about the top tier of the competition. Europe/Africa Zone Group I is being hosted in two separate locations next year on 6-9 February.

Seven teams will travel to Zielona Gora in Poland, while another eight nations will be competing in Bath, Great Britain. One nation from each location will qualify for the World Group II play-offs.

Asia/Oceania Zone Group I is taking place at the National Tennis Centre in Astana, Kazakhstan the week commencing 4 February and Americas Zone Group I is being held in Medellin, Colombia that same week.

Four nations qualify from Zone Group I (two from Europe/Africa and one from each of Asia/Oceania and Americas) to play in the World Group II play-offs against the four losers of the World Group II first round ties.

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