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Fed Cup Will Return To Asheville In 2019

The Fed Cup, the women’s international team tennis tournament, is returning to Asheville this winter.  The U.S. will play Australia on February 9th and 10th of 2019 at the U.S. Cellular Center.  Tickets go on sale this Friday.

This past February the United States defeated the Netherlands in the opening round of this year’s Fed Cup tournament in front of enthusiastic crowds at the U.S. Cellular Center.  That made coming back to Asheville for next year's tournament very easy says Jeff Ryan of the U.S. Tennis Association.  “The support and passion of the city of Asheville showed for the players and this event," Ryan said at a press conference Tuesday morning.  "It was second to none.  It was really a special time.  And it made the decision to come back very easy.”  Asheville and the U.S. Cellular Center will be the first city and venue to host a Fed Cup tie in consecutive years since Delray Beach, Florida did so from 2005 to 2007. 

Both Serena and Venus Williams played for the U.S. this past February in Asheville.  For Serena Williams, it was her first match back after giving birth.  The roster of players participating next year isn’t set now.  The deadline for that is 10 days before the matches are scheduled to take place.   The 2018 Fed Cup tournament is still taking place, and the U.S. is in the finals to defend its 2017 title.  The U.S. plays the Czech Republic next weekend in Prague.

Matt Bush joined Blue Ridge Public Radio as news director in August 2016. Excited at the opportunity the build up the news service for both stations as well as help launch BPR News, Matt made the jump to Western North Carolina from Washington D.C. For the 8 years prior to coming to Asheville, he worked at the NPR member station in the nation's capital as a reporter and anchor. Matt primarily covered the state of Maryland, including 6 years of covering the statehouse in Annapolis. Prior to that, he worked at WMAL in Washington and Metro Networks in Pittsburgh, the city he was born and raised in.
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