US Fed Cup to host Belarus
July 21, 2011
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The USTA announced today the timeline for cities to bid on hosting the 2012 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group II First Round between the U.S. and Belarus, February 4-5. The draw for the 2012 Fed Cup competition was held on Sunday, July 17, in Japan.
The USTA will select the site for the 2012 Fed Cup World Group II first round with plans to announce the venue in mid-September, pending approval from the ITF. Information about the bid process and an RFP can be found at usta.com/fedcup beginning Friday, July 22. Parties interested in bidding to host the 2012 Fed Cup World Group II first round between the U.S. and Belarus should submit a letter of intent to the USTA by Friday, Aug. 19. The deadline for submitting a final bid to the USTA is Friday, Sept. 9.
The match will be the first time the U.S. will meet Belarus in Fed Cup. Belarus, led by current world No. 4 Victoria Azarenka, defeated Estonia 5-0 in the World Group II playoff in April. Belarus made its only appearance in the Fed Cup World Group in 1994, its first year of Fed Cup competition.
The U.S. team, led by Captain Mary Joe Fernandez, will play in the World Group II for the first time in team history in 2012, after it lost to Germany in April in the World Group playoff to end its unprecedented 48-year run in the World Group.