The San Dieg
o Sports Arena has been selected to host the 2010 Fed Cup Final between the U.S. and Italy, Nov. 6-7. This will mark the first time the final has been played on U.S. soil since 2000, when the U.S. won its record 17th Fed Cup title.
San Diego was one of 10 cities to bid for the opportunity to host the event. The San Diego Sports Arena will be hosting Fed Cup for the first time. The venue also was the site for the 1989 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinal between the U.S. and France, and will become the eighth U.S. venue to host both a Davis Cup and Fed Cup tie.
“[We] hope to use the home-court advantage as we try to bring the Fed Cup title back to the U.S.,” said U.S. Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez, who’s led the team to consecutive finals in her first two seasons as captain.
This will be the second consecutive Fed Cup Final (and 11th overall meeting) between the U.S. and Italy. The Italians, who are expected to be led by Roland Garros champ Francesca Schiavone, are in the final for the fourth time in five years. The U.S. leads the overall series 9-1, but Italy defeated the U.S., 4-0 in the 2009 Fed Cup Final in Reggio Calabria, Italy. The U.S. is 35-3 all-time in Fed Cup ties played in the U.S., and is 6-1 in Fed Cup Finals played at home.
This will be the first Fed Cup tie played in the San Diego area since the 2008 World Group quarterfinal, when the U.S. defeated Germany 4-1 in La Jolla. The U.S. has never lost in seven previous Fed Cup ties contested in California.
In 1989, when the San Diego Sports Arena hosted the Davis Cup quarterfinal between the U.S. and France, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe each won two singles matches to help lead the U.S. to a 5-0 victory.
Tickets are scheduled to go on sale to the general public beginning in August. For info, call (888) 334-8782 or visit www.usta.com/fedcup.
