Swiss Fed Cup team has big chance to take next step

A year after Switzerland lost a 3-2 heartbreaker in the semifinals of Fed Cup against an eventual champion Czech Republic team, captain Heinz Guenthardt’s team has a chance to move one step closer to the squad’s ultimate goal against Belarus.

World No. 22 Timea Bacsinszky leads the team, which also includes former singles and doubles world No. 1 Martina Hingis and former No. 7 Belinda Bencic. Viktorija Golubic rounds out the quartet that heads into the tie in Minsk as the heavy favorite.

Belarus’ players do not have quite the same pedigree as their counterparts. In fact, world No. 96 Aliaksandra Sasnovich has never reached the third round of a Grand Slam before, and 18-year-old Aryna Sabalenka still has not played in the main draw at a major.

The obvious name missing for the Belarusians is Victoria Azarenka, who is still preparing for return this summer after giving birth to her first child in December. She will still be on hand in Belarus to support her teammates.

Eduard Dubrou’s team also includes veteran Olga Govortsova and another 18-year-old, Vera Lapko.

While anything can happen in Fed Cup, Switzerland should roll into the championship match for the first time since 1998.

Action kicks off Saturday at 6 a.m. EST.

Watch the Fed Cup Semifinals this weekend on Tennis Channel Plus.