Williams sisters reunite to lead Fed Cup attack

Back together in the national team for the first time in four years, the Williams sisters begin their quest to reclaim the Fed Cup for the United States this weekend.

The Americans have won the women's team cup a record 17 times but have not been champions since 2000 so captain Zina Garrison is delighted to have both Serena and Venus Williams in action against Belgium today and tomorrow.

Australian Open champion Serena has not played Fed Cup since 2003 while the older Venus missed much of last year with injury.

The pair, along with world number one doubles player Lisa Raymond and her partner Vania King, are charged with exacting revenge on Belgium, who beat the US in last year's semi-finals.

The Americans should be helped by the absence of world number one Justine Henin and number four Kim Clijsters, both pleading busy schedules, which leaves Belgium with their weakest team in recent years.

The Belgians will be led by Kirsten Flipkens, the world number 132.

Italy, who won the trophy for the first time last year, also have absences to help them after world group one debutantes China left out their top players Li Na and Zheng Jie.

Chinese officials said world number 17 Li and the 33rd-ranked Zheng had been omitted to help other players qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as rules required two appearances in Fed Cup to allow players to participate in the Games.

However, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said that players needed only to be eligible for the Fed Cup to qualify for the Olympics and did not have to play.

Sharapova injured

World number two Maria Sharapova was upset to have to forego her long-awaited debut in Fed Cup because of shoulder and hamstring injuries but Russia still have a strong team to face Spain in Moscow.

World number five Svetlana Kuznetsova and number nine Nadia Petrova have both had impressive seasons, with Petrova winning in Paris and Kuznetsova reaching finals at Doha and Indian Wells.

Spain, led this time by world number 29 Anabel Medina Garrigues, have a proud Fed Cup history with five titles and five second-place finishes but have not reached a final since 2002.

France, the only team never to have been relegated from the top tier of the world group, are without Fed Cup stalwart and world number three Amelie Mauresmo, who is recovering from appendicitis, for their date with Japan in Limoges.