Great Britain Placed In Fed Cup Draw
Great Britain has been placed in Pool C of this year’s Fed Cup draw featuring the European and African Group 1 teams. The other draws for the group include Portugal, Turkey and Latvia.
The pool matches will start on the 8th of February with the winner moving on to a play off.
Turkey may be a worry for Great Britain as they defeated the Brits two years ago. Latvia on the other hand features the world no 38 Julia Ostapenko. If the British team manages to overcome the challenge, they will be facing Bosnia, Hungary and Croatia in the play offs.
Wild Card Hopes
Britain has a wild card up their sleeve if they can have Johanna Konta on their side. She has been named as part of the 4 player team that will compete in the Fed Cup but Konta has previously withdrawn from the Fed Cup to recover after her Australian Open matches.
The other three players are Laura Robson, Jocelyn Rae and the talented Heather Watson.
Kerber Pulls Out
Meanwhile the German Angelique Kerber, the no 1 ranked player in the world, has pulled out of the Fed Cup.
She would have faced the American Team in Hawaii in February, but the weekend before that sees her defending her Grand Slam title in the Australian Open.
She has cited travel conflicts that will mean she will not be able to travel to the venue on time. She has commitments in Doha and Dubai after the Melbourne Open.
Kerber has played in the Fed Cup and represented Germany since 2007, even playing two rounds in 2016.
The Captain of the German team, Barbara Rittner has said that she fully understands Kerber’s decision. She did also add that without Kerber they would definitely be the underdogs in their Group match.
Potential replacements for Kerber will not come close to her skill. On the cards is Laura Siegemund, 27th ranked in the world, Annika Beck at 53rd, Andrea Petkovic at 55th and Julia Goerges at 56th.
Waiting for the US Squad Announcement
The American captain, Kathy Rinaldi has not revealed her squad yet. 8th ranked Madison Keys is already an uncertain pick as she is currently recovering from a wrist injury.
Ideal picks would of course be Venus and Serena Williams, but she can also pick 46th ranked Lauren Davis who recently won her first career title in Auckland. America also has the 38th ranked player Coco Vendeweghe and Christina McHale who is ranked 43rd.
| # | Site | Bonus | Bet | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Ladbrokes |  | 5/5 | 100% Match up to $250 | Bet now Review |
| 2 |  | Betway | | 4.9/5 | Up to $60 NZD | Bet now Review |
| 3 |  | Palmerbet | | 4.8/5 | 100% Match | Bet now Review |
| 4 |  | Picklebet | | 4.6/5 | Login to see promotions | Bet now Review |
More About Lauren Ball
An avid writer and sports betting enthusiast, Lauren Ball has found the ideal way to combine the two. As a regular contributor and resident OnlineBettingNZ.co.nz expert, Lauren is now putting her considerable wisdom to good use, and keeps punters informed as to what’s hot and happening in the online betting and sporting world.
From the latest sports results to any upsets or developments in the betting world, Lauren makes it her business to know what’s going on in the industry and share it with those who have the same interests.
You May Also Like:
Zverev Says He Regrets Umpire Incident
Alexander Zverev says he deeply regrets the attack he launched on the umpire’s chair at the Mexican Open in Acapulco. After taking issue with a line call on Tuesday night, ….
Peng Shuai’s Real Status Still In Question
Uncertainty continues to prevail over whether or not Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai is actually safe and able to speak freely. According to a journalist who conducted a recent first ….
Labor Lashes Out At Gov Over Djokovic Delay
Australia’s Labor party is accusing the Morrison government of dragging out the Novak Djokovic visa affair unnecessarily – and in a deliberate effort to distract from its woes surrounding the ….
Officials Looking Into Djokovic Declaration
Australian border officials are reportedly investigating whether tennis world No. 1 Novak Djokovic had indeed been honest when he declared he had not travelled for two weeks prior to his ….
WTA Insists On Peng Shuai Investigation
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has repeated its call for a full and transparent investigation into the welfare and safety of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai. The organisation said a ….