TENNIS - SPAIN , U.S. TEAMS OPEN ON ROAD FOR 1997 FED CUP .
Richard Finn
NEW YORK 1996-08-31
This year 's Fed Cup finalists -- defending champion Spain and the United States -- will hit the road to open the 1997 women 's international team competition , based on the draw conducted Saturday at the U.S. Open .
Spain travels to Belgium , while the U.S. team heads to the Netherlands for first-round matches March 1-2 .
The other two first-round ties will pit hosts Germany against the Czech Republic and visiting France against Japan .
The semifinals are July 19-20 , and the final September 27- 28 .
Life on the road this year did not slow the Americans , who will try to avenge their 3-2 defeat in the final last year when they host Spain on September 28-29 in Atlantic City .
" Last year we stood on the court after we had lost and we put out hands together and made it our committment to bring back the Cup , " U.S. captain Billie Jean King said at the draw . "
That is our sole goal . "
The United States edged Austria in Salzburg 3-2 in the opening round in April , and then blanked Japan 5-0 in Nagoya last month in the semifinals .
The victory against Japan marked the Fed Cup debut of Monica Seles , who became a naturalised U.S. citizen in 1994 .
Seles easily won both her singles matches and King is counting on the co-world number one to lead the team again .
" I told Monica we need her if we want to win , " King said .
Seles 's sore left shoulder and a wrist injury to Fed Cup veteran Mary Joe Fernandez have forced King to take a wait and see attitude regarding her squad for the best-of-five match .
Fernandez was forced to withdraw from the U.S. Open .
" We will wait until the last minute so we check with everybody and their injuries , " said King . "
What we like would be Seles , ( Olympic champion Lindsay ) Davenport and Mary Joe Fernandez . "
If she can get that threesome together , King will feel good about her chances against the Spain 's formidable duo of Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Conchita Martinez .
" To be a great coach you have to have the right horses and I got the right horses , " said King .