Tennis Channel will broadcast the Billie Jean King Cup qualifier between the United States and Belgium on April 12-13, marking the debut of Lindsay Davenport as captain of the American team. The event will be held at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, with the winner advancing to the tournament finals in Seville, Spain, in November.
Davenport, a Hall of Famer who played for the United States 20 times, will lead a roster that includes Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Emma Navarro, Taylor Townsend, and Caroline Dolehide. Pegula is currently ranked No. 5 in the world in singles, while Navarro has leaped 100 places in the WTA rankings in the past year, up to No. 21 in singles today. Townsend is ranked No. 13 in doubles.
Belgium, captained by Wim Fissette, includes Sofia Costoulas, Hanne Vandewinkel, Marie Benoit, and Kimberley Zimmermann.
The broadcast will feature four hours of live competition both days of the event. The United States and Belgium will play two singles matches Friday, and two singles and a doubles match Saturday, with each worth one point. The first country to three points gets to move on.
Former players CoCo Vandewegh and Mark Petchey will provide commentary for Tennis Channel. Vandewegh led the United States to its record-extending 18th cup in 2017, the nation’s most recent title. Petchey appeared for Britain in Davis Cup from 1991-1997.
T2, Tennis Channel’s second network, will have live coverage of two other Billie Jean King Cup qualifier matchups this weekend: Poland-Switzerland and Romania-Ukraine. Subscription service Tennis Channel Plus will have live coverage of competition between Brazil-Germany, Britain-France, and Japan-Kazakhstan, as well as encore replays of these and the matches on Tennis Channel and TC.
Tennis Channel’s international channels will also carry Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers this weekend. Austria, Germany, and Switzerland will offer Germany-Brazil, while India, Spain, and the United Kingdom will show Britain-France.
