White Plains, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – Serena and Venus Williams
and teenage Australian Open semifinalist Madison Keys were selected to play
Fed Cup tennis for the United States next week.
Team USA is trying to return to the World Group for 2016.
U.S. captain Mary Joe Fernandez announced that the 18-time major champion
Serena and seven-time Grand Slam titlist Venus will be joined by Keys and
30th-ranked Varvara Lepchenko on a team that will face host Argentina in
Buenos Aires from February 7-8.
The 19-year-old Keys upset Venus at the Aussie Open to reach her first major
semifinal, where she lost to the top-ranked Serena on Thursday.
The Americans fell out of the Fed Cup’s World Group for just the second time
since the current format was introduced back in 1995. They must defeat the
Argentines then win another series in April to return to the top group next
year.
Serena last played in the Fed Cup in 2013, the previous time the U.S. needed
to win to get back into the World Group.
Former top-ranked junior Taylor Townsend will also join the team in Buenos
Aires as a practice player.
