Billie Jean King Cup 2021: Dates, schedule and draw with Angelique Kerber and Sloane Stephens in action
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ByEurosport
Updated 29/10/2021 at 16:13 GMT
Women's international tennis sees its premier team competition reach its conclusion for 2021 in Prague as 12 teams do battle for the Billie Jean King Cup. Originally scheduled to take place in 2020, the event has been rescheduled for November this year as 2019 champions France look to defend their title.
Angelique Kerber
Image credit: Getty Images
The Billie Jean King Cup finals reaches its 2021 conclusion with one nation set to be crowned the best team in the world.
Twelve nations, including reigning champions France, were originally due to contend the tournament in 2020 and now go toe-to-toe in the 58th edition of what was previously known as the Fed Cup.
Renamed in honour of a legend of the court in King, the expanded version of the finals sees four more teams than the previous eight battle for supremacy.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of the finals:
When are the Billie Jean King Cup Finals?
The Billie Jean King Cup finals will take place at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic and are set to begin on November 1 with the final due to take place on November 6.
Originally scheduled for 14-19 April 2020 in Budapest, Hungary following the completion of the qualifying round in February of that year, the coronavirus pandemic meant the competition was postponed.
Hungary then withdrew from hosting duties ahead of the rescheduled event in 2021, with Czech Republic picking up the baton.
Who is playing?
Defending champions France are back looking for a second successive title having won the last edition in 2019.
Three-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber will be part of Germany’s five-woman team while reigning French Open champion and world no. 4 Barbora Krejcikova will be among the Czech Republic contingent.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who lost that Roland-Garros final to Krejcikova is representing Russia while Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic is part of the Switzerland side.
The USA team includes Sloane Stephens, Danielle Collins and CoCo Vandeweghe, while Carla Suarez Navarro will feature for Spain as part of her ‘farewell tour’ ahead of retirement following her return to action after recovering from cancer.
Full line up: Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Canada, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, USA.
| AUSTRALIA | BELARUS | BELGIUM | CANADA | CZECH REPUBLIC | FRANCE |
| Ajla Tomljanovic | Aliaksandra Sasnovich | Elise Mertens | Rebecca Marino | Barbora Krejcikova | Caroline Garcia |
| Daria Gavrilova | Yuliya Hatouka | Ysaline Bonaventure | Francoise Abanda | Marketa Vondrousova | Alize Cornet |
| Priscilla Hon | Lidziya Marozava | Greet Minnen | Gabriella Dabrowski | Tereza Martincova | Clara Burel |
| Storm Sanders | Iryna Shymanovich | Kirsten Flipkens | Carol Zhao | Katerina Siniakova | Fiona Ferro |
| Olivia Gadecki | Vera Lapko | Lucie Hradecka | |||
| Ellen Perez | |||||
| Captain: Alicia Molik (AUS) | Captain: Tatiana Poutchek (BLR) | Captain: Johan Van Herck (BEL) | Captain: Sylvain Bruneau (CAN) | Captain: Alicia Molik (CZE) | Captain: Julien Benneteau (FRA) |
| GERMANY | RUSSIAN TENNIS FEDERATION | SLOVAKIA | SPAIN | SWITZERLAND | USA |
| Angelique Kerber | Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova | Anna Karolina Schmiedlova | Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov | Belinda Bencic | Jessica Pegula |
| Andrea Petkovic | Daria Kasatkina | Kristina Kucova | Rebeka Masarova | Jil Teichmann | Danielle Collins |
| Anna-Lena Friedsam | Veronika Kudermetova | Viktoria Kuzmova | Sara Sorribes Tormo | Viktorija Golubic | Sloane Stephens |
| Jule Niemeier | Ekaterina Alexandrova | Rebecca Sramkova | Nuria Parrizas-Diaz | Stefanie Voegele | CoCo Vandeweghe |
| Nastasja Schunk | Liudmila Samsonova | Tereza Mihalikova | Carla Suarez Navarro | Caroline Dolehide | |
| Captain: Rainer Schuettler (GER) | Captain: Igor Andreev (RUS) | Captain: Matej Liptak (SVK) | Captain: Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) | Captain: Heinz Guenthardt (SUI) | Captain: Kathy Rinaldi (USA) |
What is the format?
The 12 teams have been drawn into four three-team groups with ties played from November 1-4.
Each tie consists of three matches, two singles and a doubles.
The four winners of each group will progress to the semi-finals on November 5 with the winners facing off in the final on November 6.
Draw
Group A: France, Russia, Canada
- France v Canada (Nov 1)
- Russia v Canada (Nov 2)
- France v Russia (Nov 3)
Group B: Australia, Belarus, Belgium
- Belarus v Belgium (Nov 1)
- Australia v Belgium (Nov 2)
- Australia v Belarus (Nov 4)
Group C: USA, Spain, Slovakia
- Spain v Slovakia (Nov 1)
- USA v Slovakia (Nov 2)
- USA v Spain (Nov 3)
Group D: Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland
- Czech Republic v Germany (Nov 1)
- Germany v Switzerland (Nov 2)
- Czech Republic v Switzerland (Nov 4)
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