Fed Cup by BNP Paribas
2016 World Group II First Round
Holua Tennis Center
at Holua Resort at Mauna Loa Village
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii * February 6-7
After the first day of play, the United States leads Poland, 2-0, in the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group II First Round played on outdoor hard court at the Holua Tennis Center at Holua Resort at Mauna Loa Village.
The U.S. is 20-0 when leading 2-0 after the first day of play (since the World Group format was instituted in 1995). The U.S. is 37-6 all-time in Fed Cup ties played at home.
In the first singles match of the day, Sloane Stephens, the United States’ No. 2 singles player, defeated Poland’s No. 1 player Magda Linette, 6-2, 6-4, in one hour and 13 minutes. Stephens trailed, 0-4, in the second set before making a comeback and winning the set. Stephens and Linette had met once on the WTA Tour last year in Washington D.C., where Stephens went on to win her first career WTA title. Stephens is now 2-2 in singles in Fed Cup, while Linette is 1-4.
In the second singles match, former world No. 1 Venus Williams defeated world No. 153 Paula Kania, 7-5, 6-2, in one hour and 12 minutes. Williams and Kania had previously met once on the WTA Tour in 2014 in Stanford, where Williams won 6-3, 6-2. Williams is now 18-2 in singles in Fed Cup. Kania was making her Fed Cup singles debut.
DAY/LOCAL TIME MATCH PAIRING
Saturday, 11:00 a.m. Singles A: Sloane Stephens (USA) def. Magda Linette (POL), 6-2, 6-4
Singles B: Venus Williams (USA) def. Paula Kania (POL), 7-5, 6-2
Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Singles C: Venus Williams (USA) vs. Magda Linette (POL)
Singles D: Sloane Stephens (USA) vs. Paula Kania (POL)
Doubles: Bethanie Mattek-Sands/CoCo Vandeweghe (USA)
vs. Klaudia Jans-Ignacik/Alicja Rosolska (POL)
Each country’s top singles players will meet on Sunday – Venus Williams (USA) vs. Magda Linette (POL) and Sloane Stephens (USA) vs. Paula Kania (POL) – as well as a doubles match pitting CoCo Vandeweghe and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) against Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Alicja Rosolska (POL).
In Sunday’s first match of the day, Williams will face off against Linette. World No. 12 Williams and world No. 96 Linette have never met on the WTA Tour. The second singles match on Sunday will feature Sloane Stephens and Paula Kania. World No. 25 Stephens and world No. 153 Kania have also never met in WTA competition.
Vandeweghe and Mattek-Sands are scheduled to take on Rosolska and Jans-Ignacik, who is serving as Poland’s playing captain. Vandeweghe reached the mixed doubles final at this year’s Australian Open and is ranked No. 46 in the world in doubles. Mattek-Sands, ranked No. 6 in the world in doubles, won the 2015 Australian Open and French Open women’s doubles titles with Lucie Safarova and has won 17 career WTA doubles titles overall. Vandeweghe and Mattek-Sands have never paired up for a doubles match before. Rosolska and Jans-Ignacik have played doubles together 16 times, the last coming in Fed Cup last year. Rosolska is ranked No. 46 in doubles and has won four WTA doubles titles, while Jans-Ignacik is ranked No. 50 in doubles and has won three WTA doubles titles.
The winner of this match advances to the World Group Playoff, held April 16-17, to compete for a spot in the 2017 World Group. The losing nation will play in the World Group II Playoff in April to remain in World Group II in 2017.
Fed Cup is the world’s largest annual international team competition in women’s sport with approximately 100 nations taking part each year. The U.S. leads all nations with 17 Fed Cup titles, the last coming in 2000. The U.S. holds an overall 144-36 record.
Tennis Channel will present live coverage, starting at 3:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. local time) on Sunday.
Attendance for today’s matches was a sell-out crowd of 2,004.
A dead rubber policy has been in place at all Fed Cup ties since 2013. If a tie is decided after the third singles rubber, the fourth singles will not be played (unless both nations want to), and the dead doubles rubber will be played instead. If the fourth singles decides the tie, the dead doubles rubber will still be played. All dead doubles rubbers will be two regular sets plus a match tiebreak.
When U.S. leads 2-0
3rd Singles Record 16-3
Outcome of Tie 20-0^
WORLD GROUP FIRST ROUND
Czech Republic is tied with Romania, 1-1
Germany is tied with Switzerland, 1-1
Italy is tied with France, 1-1
Netherlands leads Russia, 2-0
WORLD GROUP II FIRST ROUND
United States leads Poland, 2-0
Slovakia is tied with Australia, 1-1
Canada is tied with Belarus, 1-1
Spain leads Serbia, 2-0
Topics: Fed Cup tennis, Hawaii, Holua Tennis Center, Poland, Tennis News, US Fed Cup, Venus Williams, Wta
RT @10sBalls_com: #FedCup #Tennis – @Venuseswilliams Leads The US Ladies To A Sold Out Crowd Over Poland 2-0
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RT @10sBalls_com: #FedCup #Tennis – @Venuseswilliams Leads The US Ladies To A Sold Out Crowd Over Poland 2-0
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RT @10sBalls_com: #FedCup #Tennis – @Venuseswilliams Leads The US Ladies To A Sold Out Crowd Over Poland 2-0
https://t.co/sWC8HcaHp4 https:…
RT @10sBalls_com: #FedCup #Tennis – @Venuseswilliams Leads The US Ladies To A Sold Out Crowd Over Poland 2-0
https://t.co/sWC8HcaHp4 https:…
RT @10sBalls_com: #FedCup #Tennis – @Venuseswilliams Leads The US Ladies To A Sold Out Crowd Over Poland 2-0
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