Fed Cup by BNP Paribas is the world's largest annual international team competition is women's sport, in terms of the number of nations that compete. It's the equivalent of the Davis Cup for women's tennis.

However, although many nations enter the Fed Cup, only 16 countries qualify for the World Group and World Group II each year. Romania has qualified for the World Group in April last year, when it beat Canada on its own court.

Romania will play against the Czech Republic this weekend (February 6-7), in the World Group first round organized at Sala Polivalenta in Cluj-Napoca. Romania’s team consists of Simona Halep (number 3 in the WTA ranking of best women tennis players in the world), Monica Niculescu (37 in the ranking), Andreea Mitu (number 104), and Raluca Olaru. They will play against the Czech Republic’s team made of Petra Kvitova (number 8 in the WTA ranking), Karolina Pliskova, Barbora Strycova, and Denisa Allertova.

The Czechs won the only previous meeting between the two nations, which took place in Berlin in 1980. Moreover, the Czech Republic has won the Fed Cup nine times, including the last two editions (2014 and 2015).

Romania will compete at the World Group level this year, for the first time since 1992. Locally, the match between the Czech Republic and Romania will be broadcasted live by Dolce Sport, Telekom Romania's sports channel.

Romania first played in the Fed Cup in 1973. The country is a five-time Fed Cup quarterfinalist, having reached the last eight in 1973, 1974, 1978, 1980, and 1981. It spent a total of twelve years in the competition's World Group, from which it was relegated in 1992.

Romania ranks seventh in the ITF Fed Cup Nations Ranking. The Czech Republic tops the ranking, followed by Russia, Italy, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.

Also in the World Group first round, Germany will play against Switzerland this weekend in Leipzig, Germany. The winning country will meet Romania or the Czech Republic in the semifinals, scheduled for April 16-17.

France will play against Italy this weekend in Marseille (France) while the Netherlands will meet the Russian team in Moscow (Russia).

Meanwhile, Slovakia, Australia, Canada, Belarus, USA, Poland, Serbia, and Spain will play in the Fed Cup’s World Group II first round on February 6 and February 7.

Romania’s Simona Halep decides to play in Fed Cup match as the Czechs bring their top players.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Romania Fed Cup Team on Facebook)