MINSK, 27 October (BelTA) – Belarus revealed its final roster for the inaugural Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas Finals (former Federation Cup) which is due to take place in Prague next week, BelTA learned from the Belarusian Tennis Federation.
Belarusian team captain Tatiana Poutchek has included Aliaksandra Sasnovich (86th in WTA), Yuliya Hatouka (228th), Irina Shimanovich (267th) and Lidziya Marozava (87th, doubles) on the team. Aryna Sabalenka (2nd), Victoria Azarenka (27th), and Olga Govortsova (134th) will not play due to different reasons.
The Billie Jean King Cup Finals are due to take place in Prague on 1-6 November. Belarus will face Belgium on 1 November and Australia on 4 November in Group B. The best team of three will advance to the semifinal to face the best of three teams from Group A (France, Canada, Russia).
The Billie Jean King Cup is the largest international team competition in women's tennis. They are organized by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Until September 2020, the competition was called the Federation Cup, but then it was renamed after the legendary U.S. tennis player.
Team Belarus has been playing in this tournament since 1994. The highest achievement of the Belarusian tennis players was reaching the finals in 2017, where they lost 2-3 to the United States in Minsk. The U.S. team has won 18 titles, the Czech Republic - 11 titles, and the Australians - 7 titles. In the decisive match in 2019, France beat Australia 3-2. Last season the tournament was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
