Australian Open semifinalist CoCo Vandeweghe and world No. 1 doubles player Bethanie Mattek-Sands will lead the United States’ quest for a return to the Fed Cup final.
The U.S. will host reigning champion Czech Republic on the Har-Tru of Saddlebrook, April 22-23rd in a semifinal clash of the two most successful nations in Fed Cup history. The Czech Republic, which has captured five of the last six Fed Cup championships, rides a 10-tie winning streak into the semifinals.
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Captain Kathy Rinaldi reconvened three-quarters of the cast that defeated Germany in the quarterfinals—Roland Garros quarterfinalist Shelby Rogers, Vandeweghe and Mattek-Sands—adding world No. 36 Lauren Davis to the team.
Davis, who made her Fed Cup debut in 2014, is off to a 16-6 start to the season. She succeeds Alison Riske, who scored a singles win in the United States’ 4-0 victory over Germany in February.
Mattek-Sands and Rogers won the doubles point in the quarterfinals. Mattek-Sands also partnered Vandeweghe to the 2016 Indian Wells title giving the Americans a few different potential doubles combinations.
The Czech Republic boasts four Top 30-ranked players, but none of them will be playing in the semifinals.
World No. 38 Katerina Siniakova is the highest-ranked player on captain Petr Pala's squad that includes Kristyna Pliskova, twin sister of US Open finalist Karolina Pliskova, Denisa Allertova and Marketa Vondrousova.
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve