Fed Cup Play-Offs: USA meet Switzerland. Czechs host Canada
A week after the Davis Cup Qualifiers took place all over the world, the Fed Cup action kicked off last weekend with eight World Group I and II ties. Romania dethroned the Czech Republic in Ostrava to advance into the semi-final, together with France who dominated against France to stay on the title course. Belarus scored a dominant win over Germany and they will travel to Australia after the Aussies scored an away win in the United States. On April 20-21, four losing teams from the World Group 1 will take upon four squads that prevailed in World Group 2 to form the World Group Play-Offs where eight teams will seek the place in the elite in 2020.
After that tough loss against Romania at home, the Czech Republic will miss the semi-final of the top-tier of competition for the first time since 2008, trying to stay in the World Group 1 in a tricky tie versus the raising team of Canada. Thanks to Bianca Andreescu and Francoise Abanda, Canada stormed over the Netherlands on clay and they are eager to repeat that in away win in Prague or Ostrava. Including a former Czechoslovakia, Canada never managed to beat the Czechs in the previous six meetings but they will have the opportunity in April, especially if Karolina Pliskova decided to skip the tie, which is very likely.
The USA lost at home to Australia and they will have a chance to compete in front of the home fans again, trying to score the ninth win over Switzerland in as many ties. The Swiss toppled Italy and they will travel to the States for the first time since 1976, losing the next five ties on neutral venues. Latvia and Germany play against each other for the first time and the host nation will seek the seventh consecutive Fed Cup win, starting 2018 from Group 1 and having a chance to join the elite now.
In the most entertaining tie of the weekend in World Group 2, Spain edged Japan to set another away tie against Belgium, acing each other for the eighth time and the first since 2004. If both teams bring their best squads it promises to be an exciting clash, just like the last one they played 15 years ago when Spain came from 2-0 down to prevail in Jerez de la Frontera.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2toSpAe
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