LAHAINA/HAMBURG, February 11, 2017
The United States host Germany in a 14th Fed Cup by BNP Paribas meeting for these two nations in Hawaii this weekend.
It is their first clash since 2011. On that occasion, Germany whitewashed the United States 5-0 in a World Group play-off tie in Stuttgart, but the US-Americans won the two clashes prior to that – a World Group first round tie in Ettenheim in 2006 and a meeting at the same stage in La Jolla in 2008. The United States are 17-time Fed Cup champions, compared to Germany’s two titles. However, the Germans have had more success in recent years, reaching the final in 2014 while the United States were relegated to World Group II in the same year before winning promotion back to the World Group last April.
Andrea Petkovic takes on the role of German number one and she will open the tie on Saturday against Alison Riske. The 29-year-old German is bidding to win her 15th Fed Cup rubber this weekend. Petkovic has also been nominated for the 15th time, and has played in all but one of the ties for which she was nominated. She has a 14-9 win-loss record in the competition, and a 12-6 win-loss record in Fed Cup singles rubbers.
The opening rubber will be followed by the encounter between Julia Görges and the number one of the US-Team Coco Vanderweghe, who is bidding to win her second Fed Cup singles rubber this weekend, having won her first against Sam Stosur in the World Group play-offs last year.
“Andrea and Julia had some really good practice sessions here. Both are very experienced players and enjoy my full trust,” Germany’s captain Barbara Rittner told. Germany’s number one Laura Siegemund is facing little problems with her right arm but there is hope that she can compete on Sunday.
“I think the girls have put in a great week of practice,” US-American team captain Kathy Rinaldi said. “I think the expectation is really to go out there, represent your country, do your very best, and we’re going to have some fun and compete hard and leave it all on the court.”
The United States are aiming to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2010, when the team finished runner-up to Italy. If Germany wins this weekend it will host either Czech Republic or Spain in April’s semifinals.
