Champs France start defense vs Canada

Reigning champs to play opener of Billie Jean King Cup

Champs France start defense vs Canada
©Reuters

The reigning champions, France, will open this year's Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Prague on November 1 against Canada, with the final scheduled for November 6, the International Tennis Federation announced on Wednesday.

The women's team competition, formerly known as the Fed Cup, was originally scheduled to take place in Budapest in April last year before being postponed twice due to the pandemic.

France won the 2019 edition with a team that included Kristina Mladenovic, Caroline Garcia, and Pauline Parmentier defeating Australia.

This year, Belgium, the 2001 champion, will face 2017 runners-up Belarus on an opening day, while the Czech Republic, the eleven-time champion, will play on November 1 and November 4.

Each competing nation will play two group-stage matches to determine the winners of the four three-team groups, who will then advance to the semi-finals. Each tie will feature two singles matches and one double match.

Germany, Spain, Slovakia, Australia, the United States, Russia, and Switzerland will also compete.

Edited - SportsAction / Inputs - Agency