Fed Cup preview: USA vs. France

On paper, the semifinal matchup between the U.S. and France this weekend in Fed Cup should be heavily favored toward the defending champions. After all, the American squad boasts three Top-10-caliber singles players, plus one of the greatest doubles stars of the past 10 years.

However, things can often veer toward the unpredictable in team competition.

France has chosen clay as the surface to blunt the power of its opponents, plus the nation has its own recent Top-10 player to call upon. Despite having a 2-11 record against the U.S., France won their last encounter in 2014. Throw in the fact that the hosts will be able to enjoy local support and the tie can be a closer encounter than expected.

Here’s a look at the rosters for both nations and a prediction on the outcome.

Sloane Stephens

Age: 25

Ranking: No. 9 in singles/No. 131 in doubles

Fed Cup Record: 2-4 in singles/1-1 in doubles

2018 to date: Stephens’ slump after winning the U.S. Open last year continued into 2018. She turned things around in Acapulco, and then captured the Miami Open to crack the Top 10 for the first time.

Season Highlight: Miami Open champion

Madison Keys

Age: 23

Ranking: No. 13 in singles/No. 463 in doubles

Fed Cup Record: 2-2 in singles/1-1 in doubles

2018 to date: After a solid start in Australia, Keys had a rough spell on the hard courts in Indian Wells and Miami. She is coming off a semifinal run on clay in Charleston, her first final-four finish of the year.

Season Highlight: Australian Open quarterfinalist

CoCo Vandeweghe

Age: 26

Ranking: No. 16 in singles/No. 42 in doubles

Fed Cup Record: 8-3 in singles/5-0 in doubles

2018 to date: Vandeweghe hasn’t been able to replicate her hot start to 2017 in singles, but in doubles, the American won the Miami Open with Ashleigh Barty, as they played dominant tennis throughout the tournament.

Season Highlight: Miami Open doubles champion.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands

Age: 33

Ranking: No. 201 in singles/No. 32 in doubles

Fed Cup Record: 2-6 in singles/7-0 in doubles

2018 to date: The former world No. 1 in doubles is back after suffering a horrific knee injury last year at Wimbledon. This will be her third event this year.

Season Highlight: Doubles quarterfinals in Charleston.

Kristina Mladenovic

Age: 24

Ranking: No. 20 in singles/No. 14 in doubles

2018 to date: Reuniting with Timea Babos, the duo won the Australian Open this year. That win gave Mladenovic a much-needed boost of confidence as she was in the midst of a double-digit losing streak in singles. She went on to reach the final in St. Petersburg, where she was the defending champion.

Fed Cup Record: 8-6 in singles/10-2 in doubles

Season Highlight: Australian Open doubles champion

Pauline Parmentier

Age: 32

Ranking: No. 122 in singles/No. 282 in doubles

Fed Cup Record: 5-10 in singles/1-0 in doubles

2018 to date: The veteran has had a tough start to the year, winning only one match at the WTA level.

Season Highlight: First-round loss at the Australian Open.

Amandine Hesse

Age: 25

Ranking: No. 204 in singles/No. 345 in doubles

Fed Cup Record: 0-0 in singles/2-1 in doubles

2018 to date: Hesse teamed up with Mladenovic for an impressive doubles win in the first round of Fed Cup and had a deep run at an ITF event, but otherwise, hasn’t been able to put together many successful runs.

Season Highlight: Final of an ITF $25,000 in Gwalior, India.

Prediction: Despite the partisan crowd, the deeper U.S. team will get a 3-2 win.

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