Fed Cup: Serena, Venus And Sharapova In Fed Cup Action This Weekend

With Olympic entry at stake, five of the Top 10 women on the WTA are in Fed Cup action this weekend led by Australian Open finalists Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. Also joining in for round one play are Agnieszka Radwanska, Simona Halep and Angelique Kerber.

Former Grand Slam champions Venus Williams, Sam Stosur and Svetlana Kuznetsova are also scheduled for play.

Serena, who just won her 19th career Slam last weekend in Australia, travelled all the way to Buenos Aires to play on the clay against Argentina.

“I haven’t had too much time to recover, and that’s good, because that way I can stay in shape and stay fit,” Serena said. “This is one of my favorite things – not just being with the younger players, but being with all the players. It’s just so fun. Tennis is such an individual sport, you never really have an opportunity to be with other people. So I think this works out really well.”

Serena and her compatriots are not even in the main draw, but she made the trip to maintain her Olympic eligibility.

If the US win they will play on of the four first round losers from the main draw for a spot in the 2016 World Group.

WORLD GROUP FIRST ROUND

CANADA v CZECH REPUBLIC
Venue: PEPS, Quebec City, CAN (hard – indoors)
Francoise Abanda (CAN) v Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN) v Tereza Smitkova (CZE)
Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN) v Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
Francoise Abanda (CAN) v Tereza Smitkova (CZE)
Gabriela Dabrowski/Sharon Fichman (CAN) v Denisa Allertova/Lucie Hradecka (CZE)

ITALY v FRANCE
Venue: 105 Stadium, Genoa, ITA (clay – indoors)
Sara Errani (ITA) v Caroline Garcia (FRA)
Camila Giorgi (ITA) v Alize Cornet (FRA)
Sara Errani (ITA) v Alize Cornet (FRA)
Camila Giorgi (ITA) v Caroline Garcia (FRA)
Roberta Vinci/Karin Knapp (ITA) v Kristina Mladenovic/Pauline Parmentier (FRA)

POLAND v RUSSIA
Venue: Krakow Arena, Krakow, POL (hard – indoors)
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) v Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)
Urszula Radwanska (POL) v Maria Sharapova (RUS)
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) v Maria Sharapova (RUS)
Urszula Radwanska (POL) v Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)
Klaudia Jans-Ignacik/Alicja Rosolska (POL) v Vitalia Diatchenko/Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)

GERMANY v AUSTRALIA
Venue: Porsche Arena, Stuttgart, GER (hard – indoors)
Angelique Kerber (GER) v Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS)
Andrea Petkovic (GER) v Samantha Stosur (AUS)
Angelique Kerber (GER) v Samantha Stosur (AUS)
Andrea Petkovic (GER) v Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS)
Julia Goerges/Sabine Lisicki (GER) v Casey Dellacqua/Samantha Stosur (AUS)

WORLD GROUP II FIRST ROUND

NETHERLANDS v SLOVAKIA
Venue: Omnisport Apeldoorn, Apeldoorn, NED (clay – indoors)
Kiki Bertens (NED) v Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK)
Arantxa Rus (NED) v Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK)
Kiki Bertens (NED) v Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK)
Arantxa Rus (NED) v Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK)
Richel Hogenkamp/Michaella Krajicek (NED) v Magdalena Rybarikova/Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK)

ROMANIA v SPAIN
Venue: Danube Arena, Galati, ROU (hard – indoors)
Simona Halep (ROU) v Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP)
Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) v Garbine Muguruza (ESP)
Simona Halep (ROU) v Garbine Muguruza (ESP)
Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) v Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP)
Alexandra Dulgheru/Monica Niculescu (ROU) v Lara Arruabarrena/Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP)

SWEDEN v SWITZERLAND
Venue: Helsingborg Arena, Helsingborg, SWE (hard – indoors)
Rebecca Peterson (SWE) v Timea Bacsinszky (SUI)
Johanna Larsson (SWE) v Belinda Bencic (SUI)
Johanna Larsson (SWE) v Timea Bacsinszky (SUI)
Rebecca Peterson (SWE) v Belinda Bencic (SUI)
Sofia Arvidsson/Susanne Celik (SWE) v Viktorija Golubic/Xenia Knoll (SUI)

ARGENTINA v USA
Venue: Pilara Tennis Club, Buenos Aires (clay – outdoors)
Paula Ormaechea (ARG) v Venus Williams (USA)
Maria Irigoyen (ARG) v Serena Williams (USA)
Paula Ormaechea (ARG) v Serena Williams (USA)
Maria Irigoyen (ARG) v Venus Williams (USA)
Tatiana Bua/Nadia Podoroska (ARG) v Taylor Townsend/CoCo Vandeweghe (USA)