 Tennis Channel to Air US-Switzerland Fed Cup Play-off Tie, Along with Fed Cup Semis
SLOANE STEPHENS, MADISON KEYS LEAD U.S. TEAM IN FIGHT
FOR 2020 FED CUP SPOT THIS WEEKEND ON TENNIS CHANNEL
Americans Sofia Kenin, Jessica Pegula and Jennifer Brady will Join 2017 US Open Champion Stephens and 2017 US Open Finalist Keys Against Switzerland in San Antonio
Tennis Channel, Tennis Channel Plus to Cover Fed Cup Semifinals Live Friday-Sunday
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LOS ANGELES, April 18, 2019 – Tennis Channel will provide complete live coverage of the U.S. Fed Cup team’s play-off competition against Switzerland in San Antonio this weekend. Telecasts take place Saturday, April 20, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET, andSunday, April 21, beginning at 3 p.m. ET. This year the United States is battling to return to the main field of contenders for next year’s Fed Cup competition and must defeat Switzerland to keep its hopes alive. Top-ranked American and 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens and 2017 US Open finalist Madison Keys will lead Sofia Kenin, Jessica Pegula and Jennifer Brady as they fight for a spot in the 2020 tournament.
Prior to the United States–Switzerland play-off matchup, Tennis Channel and subscription-service Tennis Channel Plus will provide live coverage of this year’s Fed Cup semifinals (complete schedule follows). Beginning Friday, April 19, at 11 p.m.ET, viewers can watch Australia play 2017 Fed Cup finalist Belarus in Brisbane, Australia. France, a Fed Cup finalist in 2016, will take on Romania in Rouen, France,beginning, Saturday, April 20, at 8 a.m. ET. Other stars set to play Fed Cup this weekend include reigning French Open singles champion Simona Halep (Romania), 2017 French Open quarterfinalist Caroline Garcia (France), 2018 US Open doubles champion Ashleigh Barty (Australia), seven-time Grand Slam champion Samantha Stosur (Australia) and former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka (Belarus).
In Fed Cup head-to-head competition, the country that wins at least three of the weekend’s five matches advances.
Emmy Award winner Mary Carillo will call the U.S. Fed Cup competition for Tennis Channel, joined by Hall of Famer Tracy Austin (@thetracyaustin) and Chanda Rubin (@Chanda_Rubin), both former U.S. Fed Cup players. During Austin’s Fed Cup career, she contributed to U.S. championships from 1978-1980. Rubin competed on the team in 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2003-2004, winning the title in 1999.
Tennis Channel’s live Fed Cup coverage is as follows (all times ET- *Tennis Channel Plus):
Friday, April 19:
11 p.m. –Singles #1 Australia v. Belarus (followed by Singles #2)
Saturday, April 20:
8 a.m. –Singles #1 France v. Romania (followed by Singles #2)*
3:30 p.m. –Singles #1 USA v. Switzerland (followed by Singles #2)
11 p.m. – Singles #3 Australia v. Belarus (followed by Singles #4 and Doubles)
Sunday, April 21:
7 a.m. –Singles #3 France v. Romania (followed by Singles #4 and Doubles)
3 p.m. –Singles #3 USA v. Switzerland (followed by Singles #4 and Doubles)
The United States has never lost to Switzerland in Fed Cup play (8-0), with the countries’ most recent competition in 1993. If the Americans do not advance past Switzerland this weekend, they will be disqualified from competing in the 2020 Fed Cup tournament. The United States leads all nations with 18 Fed Cup titles.
The U.S. Fed Cup team is captained by retired American tennis star Kathy Rinaldi who, in her 2017 debut, lead the Americans to their first Fed Cup title in 17 years. Last year, Stephens finished runner-up to Elina Svitolina at the WTA Finals in Singapore in October and advanced to the final at the French Open before falling to Halep. In April, Keys won her first WTA clay-court title at the Volvo Car Open in Charleston after defeating former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. Kenin began 2019 by winning her first WTA doubles title alongside 2014 Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, and earned her first WTA singles title at January’s Hobart International in Australia. Fed Cup newcomer Pegula had an impressive run at the Oracle Challenger Series in January before falling to Bianca Andreescu in the final.
Switzerland is captained by Heinz Guenthardt and features Viktorija Golubic, Timea Bacsinszky, Conny Perrin and Ylena In-Albon.
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