Belgium still strong after Henin retires again

By foxsports
Published

Justine Henin's retirement has dealt a considerable blow to Belgium's high hopes of a title run in the Fed Cup but it will still present a formidable side in the first round next week.

Henin and Kim Clijsters agreed in December to have another shot at the Fed Cup, after leading the team back into the World Group last year after a three-year absence. The pair of former No. 1s earned Belgium its one and only title in 2001 then hardly played together again.

Henin was in the official list of team nominations on Wednesday, but her unexpected retirement left the burden on Clijsters - through to the Australian Open semifinals - Yanina Wickmayer and Kirsten Flipkens to get past the United States in Antwerp on Feb. 5-6.

Clijsters and Co will face Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Melanie Oudin, Vania King and Liezel Huber, who have been runners-up to Italy in the last two Fed Cup finals.

Italy was unchanged, with French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, Flavia Pennetta, Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci. They are remaining after the Australian Open to play in Hobart. Australia will field its strongest side, with Samantha Stosur, Jarmila Groth, Anastasia Rodionova and Rennae Stubbs.

The Czech Republic, semifinalists the last two years, go into the derby with Slovakia in Bratislava with a 3-0 record against their neighbor. But its the first time they will meet in the World Group.

The Czechs include Australian Open quarterfinalist Petra Kvitova, Lucie Safarova, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova and Kveta Peschke, while Slovakia boasts Daniela Hantuchova, Dominika Cibulkova, Magdalena Rybarikova and Jana Cepelova.

Former No. 1s Maria Sharapova and Dinara Safina return for Russia for the first time since 2008 for the home tie against France in Moscow. Also featuring are Svetlana Kuznetsova, who has helped win Russia its last three titles, and top-20 player Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Not needed was world No. 2 Vera Zvonareva.

France, which last met Russia in the 2005 final, will be without its two highest-ranked players, Marion Bartoli and Aravane Rezai, who are unavailable. Alize Cornet, Virginie Razzano, Pauline Parmentier and Julie Coin are tasked with producing a first-round win for the first time since 2007.