Agnieszka Radwanska says she is very happy to play against Martina Hingis in Fed Cup when Poland faces Switzerland at home.
Hingis, a former No. 1, has not played singles in eight years, but she has been playing doubles regularly. Radwanska and Hingis played a singles exhibition in November. The 34-year-old won the match.
Hingis also hasn’t played a Fed Cup tie since 1998, when the Swiss lost to Spain in the final. Hingis has decided to participate because she wants to be able to play the Olympics in Rio next year; playing Fed Cup is part of the eligibility process.
Radwanska said that watched Hingis when she was younger. "After so many years on tour, she cannot forget how to play good singles," Radwanska told the Fed Cup website. "So she can still be very dangerous. I have to be very focused from the start of the match."
Hingis has said that she does not want to play singles in WTA tournaments and the Grand Slams because she cannot beat the best players at big events. But she can try to win a match or two in a Fed Cup tie. "I’m excited to go out there and play. I can only do my best with what I have in the tank right now," Hingis said. "I’m excited and flattered that the team trusts in me. I feel I deserve my spot, especially in the doubles. I wouldn't ask to be on the team if I didn’t have the possibility to help them."