thePULSEHolding Serve in the City of Worcester
By Michael Walsh
Serena Williams and the United States Fed Cup team are invading the DCU Center in Worcester’s backyard for a World Group II First Round match with Belarus.
The 2012 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas chose Worcester for this opening round tilt, taking place February 4-5 in the Arena on Foster Street. Beginning at 12:30 pm Saturday with two singles matches, followed at 11:30 am on Sunday by two additional singles matches and one doubles match, the Fed Cup match-up features enough star power to satiate the most fanatical of tennis fans.
The US team, lead by captain Mary Joe Fernandez ~ herself no stranger to the biting cold of a Northeast February ~ will feature 13 time Grand Slam Singles Champion and former WTA no. 1 ranked Serena Williams. Belarus will introduce themselves to the US with current WTA no. 3, Victoria Azarenka. The 22 year old Belarusian player has already amassed 7 Grand Slam titles and was 5-0 in last year’s Fed Cup.
The US team, which has won the Fed Cup a record 17 times, suffered a 4-1 set back in Belgium in the 2011 tournament’s opening round, relegating them to World Group II for the first time in history. “It is more of a challenge, but it’s something to motivate us to get back to the World Group,” said Fernandez on our recent phone call. “We take it one match at a time, we have to win both ties to get back which is not an easy task, but we are up for the challenge.”
Returning home will provide a huge advantage for the US team as Fernandez attempts to mix in her talented youngsters with an experienced veteran in Williams. “I think it’s huge that we are playing at home. Boston has always been a great community for tennis and we don’t have much of it there anymore so it is nice to be back in that area,” said the fourth year captain.
Of those youthful talents, the US team boasts Christina McHale, a 19 year old New Jersey native who owns a victory over world no. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. Also returning will be Liezel Huber, who had the only victory for USA in 2011. With Lisa Raymond by her side, the duo took home the double title at the US Open in 2011.
“All the young Americans are gung-ho, they love Fed Cup,” said Fernandez of the fresh faced crew of newcomers. Rounding out her roster will be her choice of talented budding stars like Coco Vandeweghe, Vania King, Irina Falconi, Sloane Stephens, and Melanie Oudin.
All of this shapes up to be an electrifying February weekend in Worcester, when the stars arrive at the DCU Center and the Red White and Blue battles for world tennis supremacy on Central MA soil.
Tickets can be purchased online through Ticketmaster.com or usta.com/fedcup or by calling Ticketmaster at 888-334-USTA (8782).
Be sure to check out our “Hot Shots” section online at
www.thepulsemag.com in March for live shots of the US FED Cup!
Special thanks to Jasmine Sheppard and Jeanmarie Daly
Photos: (top) Courtesy of the DCU Center, (bottom) US Fed Cup fans cheer at the 2011 US Open, courtesy of Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA
Great article! Should have some good matches ESP with Azarenka coming off an amazing win at the Australian Open.