Paris (AFP)
Kristina Mladenovic, Caroline Garcia, Alize Cornet, Pauline Parmentier and Fiona Ferro have been renewed for the finals of the Fed Cup in Australia (9-10 November), announced Monday the captain of the France team Julien Benneteau.
"So far, these five players have responded, I have confidence in these five to take up this huge challenge" in Perth against Australia led by World No.1 Ashleigh Barty, Benneteau explained about the group that had eliminated Romania in the semi-finals.
Australia will notably join Barty, the winner at this year's Roland-Garros, the experienced Samantha Stosur (35, 92nd World) and Ajla Tomljanovic (51st), first called by Captain Alicia Molik.
"Today, there is only Fiona (Ferro) who did not play singles in this Fed Cup campaign, and I told them, and I will tell them again, that I need everyone and that everyone must be ready to play anytime and anybody, single or double, "said Benneteau, assuring that he has not yet decided who he will play.
In the semifinals, he had managed to restore a certain agreement between Garcia and Mladenovic, who had already led the Bleues in the final in 2016 but whose fray had plummeted the team of France for more than two years. Against Romania, it was in doubles that they had won the decisive point.
France will try to win in Australia its third Fed Cup after 1997 and 2003.
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