The draw for the 2009 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas was made Friday at the Club de Campo in Madrid, the site of this weekend’s 2008 Fed Cup Final between Spain and Russia.
The top eight nations will compete in the World Group for a chance to lift the Fed Cup trophy, while the eight nations in World Group II will compete for promotion to the World Group in 2010. The remaining teams will compete in regional Zone Groups I, II and III.
Following are the first-round match-ups for the World Group nations. The first country listed will choose the site in which the tie will be played:
USA vs. Argentina
Russia vs. China
France vs. Italy
Czech Republic vs. Spain
The 2009 World Group and World Group II first-round ties will be held Feb. 7-8, the semifinals will take place April 25-26, and the final has moved outside the regular tour season and will be held Nov. 7-8 .
Fed Cup by BNP Paribas is the largest annual international team competition in women’s sport, with 89 nations entered in 2008. The event was established in 1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the ITF.
The title sponsor is BNP Paribas, the Official Bank of Fed Cup. Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Turismo Madrid (Official Tourist Destination) and BoscoSport (Official Clothing Sponsor) are international sponsors, and Wilson Sporting Goods (Official Ball) an
international partner.
Go to www.fedcup.com for further information, including the complete draws for 2009.