The final of the Fed Cup is being played over the weekend of November 11th-12th and it will feature the USA v Belarus. This is the culmination of the yearly tournament which started at the quarter final stage back in February. The semi finals were them completed in April and it’s been a long wait now for the final to come around. The USA are 2/9 odds on favourites to win the title, with Belarus at 13/5 with Paddy Power.
The Final is being hosted in Belarus and it features the home nation who are ranked second in the ITF Rankings, taking on the USA who are one place beneath them. Both have seen significant rises in the table at the expense of France and Switzerland having slipped back. Belarus beat Switzerland in the semi finals after the Swiss had taken down France in a heavyweight quarter final clash.
Belarus had to see off fourth seeds Netherlands in their opener before meeting the French and now get a shot at the USA. The USA took out third seeds Germany easily in the quarter finals, before having a tough battle to get past the top seeds the Czech Republic in the semi finals.
Fed Cup Tennis Final 2017 Team Selections
Because of personal problems, Belarus’s top player Victoria Azarenka can’t play in the finals because she isn’t able to leave home in California at the moment because of a custody issue over her child. It’s a situation which led her to miss the US Open as well. So that’s a big blow for the chances of the Belarusians even though they reached the final without her. But she would likely have been called up to compete for her country.
Belarus have selected Aryna Sabalenka, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Vera Lapko and Lidziya Marozava. On the other side of the table, the USA have neither Serena Williams or Venus Williams competing for them. The USA are going into the final with a strong line up for US Open champion Sloane Stephens, Coco Vandeweghe, Shelby Rogers and Alison Riske.
History & Head to Head
Belarus and the USA have only met once before in the competition and the USA won that one. It was a 5-0 victory over the USA in World Group II first round tie back in 2012. It has been 17 years since the USA last won the Fed Cup title, which was back in 2000 and that was their seventh victory. They are the most successful nation in the history of the Fed Cup and won it seven years on the bounce between 1976 and 1982. For Belarus, this is their first ever appearance in the final of the Fed Cup.
Fed Cup Tennis Final 2017 Prediction
This likely to go all of the way. Belarus are on a nine-tie winning streak in Fed Cup action which has carried them to the biggest moment of their history. That winning streak goes back to a Europe/Africa Zone Group I victory against Georgia in 2015. That shows how far they have come. They are led by 19 year old Aryna Sabalenka who got the vital point in the semi final against the Swiss to put her country in the final for the first time. Aliaksandra Sasnovich has been a rock for them, winning all four of her singles matches in this year’s tournament. The USA were carried through their semi final by Coco Vandeweghe who contributed to all three points in the match to get through. The USA will be less overawed by the occasion and have the extra quality in Vandeweghe and Stephens. They can get across the line as 2/9 odds on favourites.
