United States vs. Belgium Fed Cup by BNP Paribas 2011 World Group Quarterfinal Sportpaleis Antwerp Antwerp, Belgium * February 5-6 INDEX PREVIEW NOTES PLAYER BIOGRAPHIES (U.S. AND BELGIUM) U.S. FED CUP TEAM RECORDS U.S. FED CUP INDIVIDUAL RECORDS ALL-TIME U.S. FED CUP TIES RELEASES/TRANSCRIPTS 2011 World Group (8 nations) First Round Semifinals Final February 5-6 April 16-17 November 5-6 Italy at Hobart, Australia Australia Russia at Moscow, Russia France Champion Nation Slovak Republic at Bratislava, Slovak Republic Czech Republic Belgium at Antwerp, Belgium USA 2011 World Group II (8 nations) Losers to First Round Winners to World Group II Play-offs February 5-6 World Group Play-offs Spain at Tallinn, Estonia Estonia Germany at Maribor, Slovenia Slovenia Canada at Novi Sad, Serbia Serbia Sweden at Helsingborg, Sweden Ukraine United States vs. Belgium Fed Cup by BNP Paribas 2011 World Group Quarterfinal Sportpaleis Antwerp Antwerp, Belgium * February 5-6 PREVIEW NOTES The United States’ quest to reach the Fed Cup final for the third straight year begins at the 2011 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Quarterfinal at Belgium. Play begins Saturday, February 5 at 7:30 a.m. ET on an indoor hard court at the Sportpaleis Antwerp in Antwerp, Belgium. This is the seventh meeting between these two nations in Fed Cup, with the U.S. owning a 5-1 advantage (4-1 since the World Group format began in 1995). Belgium’s only victory came at the 2006 World Group Semifinal in Ostend, Belgium. The U.S. has been won the Fed Cup a record 17 times and is seeking its first title since 2000. Belgium’s sole Fed Cup title came in 2001. The U.S. reached its second consecutive final last year, where they lost to Italy in San Diego and also faced Italy in the 2009 final in Italy. The U.S. has only lost a first round tie twice (1997 in the Netherlands and 2002 in Raleigh, N.C. versus Austria) and both occurrences came in the team’s first match after winning the title (the U.S. did not compete in the 2001 semifinals after winning the title in 2000), meaning the U.S. Fed Cup has never lost two consecutive ties in the history of the competition. Belgium won the Fed Cup in 2001, its only Fed Cup title, and has won 10 of its last 12 home ties. This is their first appearance in World Group I since a 5-0 loss to the U.S. in the 2007 first round in Delray Beach, Fla. The opening day of play in the best-of-five match series features each country’s No. 1 singles player against the No. 2 player from the opposing country. The exact order of play (which country’s No. 1 plays first) will be determined at the Draw Ceremony, which will be held on Friday, February 4. The second day of competition begins on Sunday with the “reverse singles,” starting with each country’s No. 1 player squaring off followed by the No. 2 players and then the doubles match. Each match is best-of-three-sets. ORDER OF PLAY DAY/TIME MATCH PAIRING Saturday, 7:30 a.m. ET Singles A: USA No. 1 vs. BEL No. 2 (or BEL No. 1 vs. USA No. 2) Singles B: opposite pairing of Singles A *Sunday, 7:30 a.m. ET Singles C: USA No. 1 vs. BEL No. 1 Singles D: USA No. 2 vs. BEL No. 2 Doubles: USA vs. BEL * the number of matches on Sunday is subject to change DOMESTIC TELEVISION SCHEDULE Tennis Channel will present daily live coverage beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET on both Saturday and Sunday. FED CUP TEAM COMPARISON: UNITED STATES VS. BELGIUM UNITED STATES FED CUP COMPARISON BELGIUM 1963 First year played 1963 47 Years played 46 170 (140-30) Ties played 128 (66-62) 17-time champion Best Finish Champion in 2001 (17-11 in finals) (1-1 in finals) ANTICIPATED PARTICIPANTS*: Both captains submitted an initial four-woman roster 10 days prior to play, but can change two of the four players originally nominated up to one hour before Friday’s draw ceremony when they are required to submit their official lineups. Justine Henin announced her retirement from pro tennis hours after the initial roster was submitted and is expected to be replaced by An-Sophie Mestach. TEAM USA TEAM BELGIUM Bethanie Mattek-Sands Kim Clijsters Melanie Oudin Justine Henin Vania King Yanina Wickmayer Liezel Huber Kirsten Flipkens An-Sophie Mestach Mary Joe Fernandez Captain Sabine Appelmans INDIVIDUAL PLAYER RESULTS* * All records as of Monday, January 31 (post-Australian Open) UNITED STATES SINGLES RECORD TITLES Player 2010 / 2011 Career (2010) Best finish at the US Open Bethanie Mattek-Sands 38-19 / 4-2 229-178 0 (0) Second round four times (2007-10) Melanie Oudin 25-24 / 0-2 113-71 0 (0) Quarterfinalist in 2009 Vania King 21-23 / 5-3 138-138 1 (0) Third Round in 2009 Liezel Huber --- 175-159 0 (0) Second round in 1998 (debut) DOUBLES RECORD TITLES Liezel Huber 55-18 / 6-2 646-318 43 (4) Champion in 2008; Mixed Doubles champion in 2010 Vania King 41-17 / 0-3 159-102 12 (4) Champion in 2010 Bethanie Mattek-Sands 40-17 / 4-2 192-117 8 (1) Quarterfinalist three times (2007, 2009-10) BELGIUM SINGLES RECORD TITLES Player 2010 / 2011 Career (2010) Best finish at the US Open Kim Clijsters 40-7 / 11-1 491-115 41 (5) Three-time champion (2005, 2009-10) Justine Henin 32-8 / 2-1 527-116 43 (2) Champion in 2003 and 2007 Yanina Wickmayer 43-21 / 5-3 217-98 3 (1) Semifinalist in 2009 Kirsten Flipkens 24-20 / 0-1 239-165 0 (0) Third round in 2009 An-Sophie Mestach 14-6 / 0-0 20-11 0 (0) Has not competed TEAM RESULTS ON HARD COURTS The U.S. Fed Cup team has played 14 more ties on hard courts than Belgium. The United States has played 46 Fed Cup ties on hard courts, compared to Belgium’s 32. The U.S. has a 39-7 record in those matches, posting a better winning percentage (.845) than Belgium, which is 18-14 (.563). UNITED STATES RECORD ON HARD COURTS BELGIUM 46 Ties played 32 39-7 Record 18-14 2010 World Group Final; Last Time 2010 World Group II First Round; Lost to Italy 3-1 in San Diego def. Poland 3-2 in Bydgoszcz, Poland 1 loss Current Streak 1 win SUCCESS IN THE FIRST ROUND/FIRST MATCH The United States holds a 46-2 record in the first round or first match of the year since Fed Cup competition began in 1963. Both U.S. losses occurred since the World Group format was introduced in 1995. The U.S. first lost in the 1997 World Group First Round in the Netherlands, 3-2, and was also defeated in the 2002 World Group First Round versus Austria in Charlotte, N.C., again by a score of 3-2. This is Belgium’s first appearance in World Group I since being swept in 2007 by the U.S. in Delray Beach, Fla., 5-0. RECORD IN UNITED STATES FIRST ROUND/FIRST MATCH BELGIUM 46-2 OVERALL 23-23 8-1 Home 5-1 4-1 Away 3-4 34-0 (33-0) Neutral (prior to 1995) 15-18 (12-18) BY SURFACE 14-0 Hard 6-7 23-1 Clay 14-9 2-1 Indoor Carpet 3-0 7-0 Grass 0-3 RECORD IN FED CUP FIRST ROUND/FIRST MATCH BY SURFACE SINCE 1995 UNITED STATES BELGIUM Home Away Neutral Surface Home Away Neutral 6-0 — — Hard 1-1 2-3 — 2-1 4-0 — Clay 4-0 0-1 2-0 — 0-1 1-0 Indoor Carpet — 1-0 1-0 — — — Grass — — — PLAYER HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORDS Clijsters Wickmayer Flipkens Mestach TOTAL Bethanie Mattek-Sands vs. 0-1 0-1 — — 0-2 Melanie Oudin vs. — — — — — Vania King vs. 0-1 — 2-1 — 2-2 Liezel Huber vs. — — — — — RANKINGS*/FED CUP CAREER COMPARISONS * Rankings as of Monday, January 31 (post-Australian Open) U.S. FED CUP TEAM Singles Doubles Ties Singles Doubles Overall Player Ranking Ranking Played Record Record Record Bethanie Mattek-Sands No. 49 No. 13 4 2-4 3-0 5-4 Melanie Oudin No. 61 No. 137 5 5-4 — 5-4 Vania King No. 86 No. 5 6 1-4 3-2 4-6 Liezel Huber --- No. 6 18 0-1 14-3 14-4 BELGIUM FED CUP TEAM Singles Doubles Ties Singles Doubles Overall Player Ranking Ranking Played Record Record Record Kim Clijsters No. 2 No. 386 16 19-3 3-1 22-4 Justine Henin No. 13 No. 764 12 15-2 0-2 15-4 Yanina Wickmayer No. 26 No. 304 8 11-4 1-2 12-6 Kirsten Flipkens No. 88 No. 305 14 7-11 1-5 8-16 An-Sophie Mestach No. 476 No. 743 1 -- 0-1 0-1 2010 FED CUP RESULTS United States Quarterfinal: def. France in Lievin (red clay) 4-1 Semifinal: def. Russia in Birmingham, Ala. (hard) 3-2 Final: lost to Italy in San Diego (hard) 1-3 Belgium World Group II: def. Poland in Bydgoszcz, Poland (hard) 3-2 World Group Play-off: def. Estonia in Hasselt, Belgium (red clay) 3-2 2010 FED CUP INDIVIDUAL RECORDS UNITED STATES POSITION BELGIUM Melanie Oudin (3-1) No. 1 singles Kim Clijsters (1-0) Bethanie Mattek-Sands (0-1) Yanina Wickmayer (2-0) Melanie Oudin (1-0) Substitution Justine Henin (0-1) at No.