Fed Cup runners-up Australia have been drawn against Belgium and Belarus in the group stage of the 2020 Fed Cup Finals to be played in Budapest from April 14-19.
Twelve nations will compete in four groups in the first version of the revamped women’s team competition which has followed the men’s Davis Cup in moving to a one-week multi-nation showdown in one city.
The draw was made at a glittering ceremony at the Museum of Fine Arts in the Hungarian capital on Tuesday, with Alicia Molik’s Australian team the seeded country for Pool B as last year’s beaten finalists.
Australia’s bid to win the prestigious inter-nation event ended in a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to France in Perth in November but ensured they would automatically qualify for the year’s finals.
Holders France have been drawn into Pool A with Russia and Hungary while 18-times Fed Cup champions United States will face Spain and Slovakia in Group C. Group D will feature wildcards the Czech Republic, Germany and Switzerland.
The winners of Group A will face the winners of Group C, with the Group D winners taking on whoever tops Australia’s pool.
The main change for the revamped set-up was the formation of a new World Group, with countries fighting it out at one location and in one week, this year in Budapest.
Fed Cup Finals draw:
Group A France, Hungary, Russia
Group B Australia, Belgium, Belarus
Group C United States, Slovakia, Spain
Group D Czech Rep, Germany, Switzerland
Earlier on Tuesday, the draw to see who makes next year’s Fed Cup qualifiers was made in London.
This play-off draw includes those nations who lost in their qualifying matches at the weekend. The play-off winners will get the chance to qualify for the 2021 Finals.
Plays-off draw (to be played home and away):
Poland v Brazil Mexico v Great Britain Serbia v Canada Latvia v Asia/Oceania Nation TBC Japan v Ukraine Romania v Italy Argentina v Kazakhstan Netherlands v Asia/Oceania Nation TBC.