U.S. Preps for Weekend Fed Cup Clash in Cleveland With Italy
The order of play for this weekend's U.S. vs. Italy Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Quarterfinal tie was determined at Friday's draw ceremony, hosted at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center Ballroom. The opening day of play in the best-of-five match series features each country's number one singles player against the number two player from the opposing country. The order of play for this weekend is as follows:
| Day/Local Time | Match | Pairing |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 1:00 p.m. | Singles A | Christina McHale (USA) vs. Karin Knapp (ITA) |
| Singles B | Madison Keys (USA) vs. Camila Giorgi (ITA) | |
| Sunday, 12:00 p.m. | Singles C | Madison Keys (USA) vs. Karin Knapp (ITA) |
| Singles D | Christina McHale (USA) vs. Camila Giorgi (ITA) | |
| Doubles |
Lauren Davis & Alison Riske (USA) vs. Nastassja Burnett & Alice Matteucci (ITA) |
The United States will face reigning Fed Cup champion Italy in the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Quarterfinal on an indoor hard court at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland. The U.S. brings a young Fed Cup team to Cleveland, which includes Cleveland native Lauren Davis, 20; Madison Keys, 18; and Alison Riske, 23, all of whom are making their Fed Cup debuts. The team also includes 21-year-old Christina McHale, who has won her last four Fed Cup singles matches. All four women are ranked in the Top 60 in the world and have advanced to the third round or better at a Grand Slam event. Top Americans Serena Williams (back) and Sloane Stephens (wrist) will not compete due to injury.
In Saturday’s first match of the day, Christina McHale, the only player who has previously been named to the U.S. Fed Cup Team, will face off against Italy’s top player Karin Knapp. Ranked 62nd in the world, McHale competed for the U.S. Fed Cup team four times between 2010 and 2012. She holds a 4-3 record (all in singles) in Fed Cup and currently holds a four-match winning streak after winning all of her matches in 2012. McHale peaked at 24th in the world in August 2012 and competed in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Knapp is ranked 40th in the world and has played in two Fed Cup ties for Italy, one in 2008 and one in 2013. She lost her only singles match in 2008. Knapp has competed in all four Grand Slam events, reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2013 for her career-best result. McHale and Knapp have played each other one time on the WTA Tour, with McHale winning in Rome in 2013 on clay, 7-5, 6-2.
The second singles match will feature Madison Keys and Camila Giorgi, who are both making their Fed Cup debuts. Keys, who is ranked 37th in the world, will be the 70th player to represent the United States in Fed Cup competition. She first broke into the Top 40 in the world in 2013 after reaching the third round of the Australian Open and Wimbledon. In 2009, she became the youngest player at 14 years and 48 days to win a WTA match since Martina Hingis in 1994. Giorgi is ranked 84th in the world and gained national attention at the 2013 U.S. Open, where she advanced to the fourth round and upset former U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki. Keys and Giorgi have played each other one time at a USTA Pro Circuit event in New Braunfels, Texas, in 2012 on a hard court with Keys winning, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
This match marks the 13th matchup between the U.S. and Italy in Fed Cup competition. Italy won the last three meetings, but the U.S. leads the overall series, 9-3. The U.S. last faced Italy in the 2013 World Group Quarterfinal, losing, 3-2, in Rimini, Italy, in a fifth-and-decisive doubles rubber. The U.S. also played Italy in consecutive Fed Cup World Group finals in 2009 and 2010, both won by the Italians. The U.S. last won against Italy in the 2003 World Group Quarterfinal in Washington, D.C. The winner of this tie advances to face either Spain or the Czech Republic in the semifinals, April 19-20.
Ohio will be hosting Fed Cup for the first time, becoming the 15th state to host a Fed Cup tie. The U.S. is 37-4 all-time in Fed Cup ties played at home and 41-8 when competing on hard courts. This is the sixth year as captain of the U.S. squad for Mary Joe Fernandez, who resides in Cleveland. Fernandez led the U.S. to consecutive Fed Cup finals appearances in her first two years as captain (2009 and 2010). She was the first U.S. captain to accomplish that feat since Marty Riessen in 1986-87. Fernandez holds a 7-5 record as U.S. Fed Cup captain and holds the third-longest tenure in U.S. Fed Cup history, behind Billie Jean King and Riessen, both of whom served as U.S. Fed Cup Captain for nine years.
