Fed Cup 2019 betting preview, tips and odds

Starts Saturday

There's a more competitive look than usual to the Fed Cup World Group draw this year and punters should have a good look at the fields in the last-eight matches, all of which will be contested on indoor hard courts, before betting.

Cup-holders Czech Republic, winners in six of the last eight years, are the favourites to keep hold of the trophy but they face a potentially tough opener against a Romania side featuring former world number one Simona Halep and Mihaela Buzarnescu.

Petra Kvitova is an absentee for the Czechs, who start with Karolina Pliskova and Katerina Siniakova, and it's difficult to pick a winner in Ostrava.

Belarus, pipped to the title by USA in Minsk two years ago, try again and are vying for second favouritism. They travel to Germany for their opener, but Aryna Sabalenka and Aliaksandra Sasnovich should be able to find a way past Andrea Petkovic and Tatjana Maria in Braunschweig.

USA may have enough to edge out Australia in North Carolina, while France could be vulnerable against Belgium in Liege.

With doubts about the Czechs progressing, an outright interest on Belarus could be prudent. The powerful Sabalenka is getting better and better and she should be ably assisted by Sasnovich.

It's semi-finals day in the ATP tournaments in Montpellier, Sofia and Cordoba but the prices are difficult to quibble with.

Fed Cup draw - top half: (1) Czech Republic v Romania, Belgium v (4) France; bottom half: Germany v (3) Belarus, (2) USA v Australia.

Recommendation
Belarus to win Fed Cup
1pt 4-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

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