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Will Belgium win the Fed Cup again after 20 years? “Are here to win matches” | Fed Cup

The Billie Jean King Cup final week kicks off on Monday in Prague. Belgium starts the tournament with healthy ambitions. “We have the qualities to go to the semi-finals”, captain Johan Van Herck looks ahead from the Czech capital.

Van Herck: “Are an outsider here”

The Billie Jean King Cup is the successor to the Fed Cup. Our country has come to the Czech Republic for the final tournament with Elise Mertens (WTA 20), Greet Minnen (WTA 69), Ysaline Bonaventure (WTA 143) and Kirsten Flipkens (WTA 154). In group B they compete against Australia and Belarus, only the group winner advances to the semi-finals.

That is also the ambition of Belgian women. “We are – I think – not among the favorites, but we are definitely an outsider here,” said captain Johan Van Herck today during a digital press moment.

“We certainly went to Prague with the necessary ambition. Some countries are not at full strength (Australia is missing number one in the world Ashleigh Barty, at Belarus number two in the world Aryna Sabalenka is not among them, ed.) And that changes things a bit.”

“We have the qualities to go to the semi-finals. We are here with a homogeneous team, which knows what it is like to win matches, both in singles and doubles,” says Van Herck.

“We can both win those first two meetings, which doesn’t mean we will win them. Afterwards we will see who to play against. Of course we dream of what happened twenty years ago (when Belgium won the Fed Cup, red). That is certainly in the back of mind.”

Some countries are not at full strength here, that changes things.

Johan Van Herck

Mertens: “Are here to win matches”

Twenty years ago, Belgium recorded its best result ever, beating Russia in the final of the then Fed Cup in Madrid. In 2006 the final for its own people was lost to Italy, when Kirsten Flipkens was already there.

There is pressure on the shoulders of Belgium’s number one for singles Elise Mertens. The number twenty in the world does not yet know whether she will also participate in doubles.

“It was a tough year with all that travel and long journeys,” she admits. “However, I took ten days off to recharge and prepare for these confrontations. I felt the need to take a break.”

“Of course there is pressure, but you deal with that as a team. We are ambitions and here to win matches.”

The team left for Prague without Alison Van Uytvanck (WTA 60), Belgium’s number two. She prefers WTA tournaments, although her recent split with Greet Minnen undoubtedly also play a role.

Minen: “It was an emotional week, but I’m here to focus on tennis and I don’t want to go into my private life. I’m happy to be here with the team. It’s only my second Fed Cup, it remains especially for playing.”

I’m here to focus on tennis and I don’t want to get into my private life.

Greet Minnen

The Belgian team has been in Prague for a while:

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