Great Britain will face Slovakia in a qualifying tie for the new Fed Cup finals next year in a game away from home. The team of Anne Keothavong will play the five-match tie in February for a place in the team finals. The finalists, Australia and France, have already qualified so far this year for the April Finals in Budapest, where they will face hosts Hungary and the Czech Republic. The new format means that Great Britain will start a year with a chance to win the trophy for the first time since 1993.
Previously, the award could only be lifted by the eight clubs in the top level of the competition. Twenty teams start the year with the opportunity to win under the new system. Britain had been in the Fed Cup’s third tier for 26 years until they secured World Group promotion by beating Kazakhstan in April in London. In the match next February, British number one Johanna Konta, who is ranked 16th in the globe, is likely going to be the highest rated player. However, she is the only Briton in the top 100 in the world, whereas there are three from Slovakia-Viktoria Kuzmova (54), Dominika Cibulkova (68) and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (96).
If Britain loses the tie, in the same week as the Finals, they will compete in a play-off round. Victory would offer them another opportunity to achieve the 2021 finals, while failure would return them to the Europe / Africa zone.
| Rank | Site | Bonus | Bet | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Ladbrokes |  | 5/5 | 100% Match up to $250 | Bet now Review |
| 2 |  | Palmerbet | | 4.9/5 | 100% Match | Bet now |
More About Jennie Martin
After completing her degree, Jennie Martin began her journalism career by working as an intern on the entertainment pages. However, her passion for sport was quickly noticed, and she began covering local events.
She now puts her considerable expertise and more than a decades worth of experience to good use, keeping readers up to date on Australian and international sports betting news.
From the latest sporting results to the thrills and spills of the online betting industry, Jennie is the australiansportsbetting.net expert in the field.
You May Also Like:
Robert DiPierdomenico Separates From Wife
AFL legend Robert “Dipper” DiPierdomenico and his wife of 41 years have separated. Estranged wife Cheryl detailed the separation in a post on social media, describing the fact that her ….
What’s Going on in Nick Kyrgios’ Relationship?
True love seemed to be a given between Nick Kyrgios and Chiara Passari during the Australian Open this year but now we’re not so sure. Kyrgios and his on-again/off-again girlfriend ….
Nadal Looking Unlikely To Ace Big No. 21
World number 2 Rafael Nadal was once again nowhere to be seen on Friday at the ATP Cup in Melbourne. It is this time round a back injury threatening his ….
Roger Federer Explains Australian Open Miss
Roger Federer has silenced all retirement rumours, explaining that he had to other option but to sit out of this year’s Australian Open as a result of his recovery from ….
Marcus Daniell Not Expecting Much Of PTPA
Kiwi tennis player Marcus Daniell says he isn’t holding out for any sort of future for a Novak Djokovic-led players’ union. The New Zealander, who is a five-time ATP doubles ….