The Billie Jean King Cup returns this weekend, with tickets to November's Finals on the line. Seven nations will play qualifiers in front of local fans on April 12-13, while Ukraine, led by Elina Svitolina, will host Romania at the Omni Amelia Island Resort in Florida.
Ukraine has been forced to find a temporary home for its tie due to the ongoing war in the country. The Svitolina Foundation, which manages the Ukrainian women's national team, has partnered with the Bush Tennis Center in West Texas to secure the venue.
Svitolina and her teammates have not played a tie within their borders since 2021. The former world No. 3 is excited to be playing in Amelia Island, despite the circumstances.
"We wish we could play a home tie in Ukraine, but due to the war it was not possible," said Svitolina. "We started our preparation as it's not that far from Charleston. Which is good for us, because the trip is not that long."
Romania will be led by Ana Bogdan and Jaqueline Cristian, as Simona Halep has withdrawn with a medical issue. The two singles matches will be contested Friday, with reverse encounters be played out Saturday. If Ukraine and Romania split those, a deciding doubles rubber will determine the advancing nation.
Svitolina is joined by Lesia Tsurenko, Yuliia Starodubtseva, Lyudmyla Kichenok, and Nadiia Kichenok for the showdown on green clay.
Tags: #BillieJeanKingCup, #Ukraine, #Romania, #ElinaSvitolina, #SimonaHalep
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