MOSCOW (AP) World No. 5 Victoria Azarenka is in the Belarus team for the Fed Cup tie with Russia next week.
Azarenka will be joined by Olga Govortsova, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, and Aryna Sabalenka for the April 16-17 match in Moscow for the right to play in the top-tier World Group next season.
Azarenka has won three of the five tournaments she has played this season, including beating Serena Williams in the final at Indian Wells.
A young Russian team is led by world No. 35 Darya Kasatkina, alongside Margarita Gasparyan, Elena Vesnina, and Elizaveta Kulichkova.
Failing to stay in the World Group for 2017 would be a poor result for Russia, which reached last year's final but lost its opening tie this year to the Netherlands.