New Delhi: The finals of the Billie Jean King Cup, which is called the Fed (Federation) Cup, will be hosted in China for the next three years. A total of three venues in Shenzhen are considered for the main event, including the Shenzhen Bay Sports Arena.
This will shift the top-tier women’s team international events from Europe to Asia after Prague, Seville, Glasgow, and Malaga hosted the first four editions. The organisers believe the decision will increase and elevate the profile of women’s tennis on a global scale.
China will be one of the teams fielded on the virtue of being the host nation. Italy will be the other team on the status of being the defending champion. The other six teams will be decided following the conclusion of the qualifiers, which will be held in April.
“The announcement demonstrates our commitment to bringing the passion and excitement of nation v nation team tennis to markets around the world,” Billie Jean King said.
Olympic medallist pleased with the move
China’s top-ranked women’s singles player Qinwen Zheng, who won the Paris Olympics gold medal, was excited to see the event entering her home nation and explained how sports thrive there.
“Having the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen is a dream come true for myself and other Chinese tennis players. It is an honor to welcome the world’s best players to our home country, where the passion for the sport is unmatched,” Zheng said.
A total of 18 teams are split into six different groups, meaning three teams in each group, with the winner progressing to the Billie Jean King Cup finals.
The finals are usually held in November, but there is a possibility to see them being scheduled either in September or October. The draws for the qualifiers were scheduled on Thursday and the qualifiers are set to be staged in Australia, Czechia, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, and Slovakia.
China will be one of the teams fielded on the virtue of being the host nation of the Billie Jean King Cup. Italy will be the other team on the status of being the defending champion. The other six teams will be decided following the conclusion of the qualifiers, which will be held in April. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
