After the cancellations of Angelique Kerber (Kiel) and Julia Görges (Bad Oldesloe) the German Fed Cup team will be in the first round at the last year’s finalist Belarus in Minsk (10/11). February) led by Tatjana Maria.
Beside the world rankings-49. from Bad Saulgau, the new team boss Jens Gerlach also nominated Anna-Lena Friedsam (Neuwied) and Anna-Lena Grönefeld (Nordhorn).
The fourth player will be announced in the next few days due to Carina Witthöft’s (Hamburg) absence due to illness. The most likely candidate is Mona Barthel (Neumünster).
Maria played “a strong last season. In Australia she had a difficult draw, but in the second set against Maria Sharapova she presented herself well. With her we have a very experienced player in our team,”said Gerlach.
Maria last stood in 2011 – at that time still under her maiden name Malek – against Slovenia in the German contingent. Friedsam makes her debut for Germany in Minsk, double specialist Grönefeld has been a regular member of the national team since 2004. The games in Minsk will be broadcast live on the DAZN online streaming service. Kerber and Görges had already cancelled early.