The French women's tennis team faces that of Great Britain in the qualifying round of the Billie Jean King Cup 2023 (ex Fed Cup) this weekend in Coventry. Absent from Portel last year during the play-off against the Netherlands, the Northerner Kristina Mladenovic finds the tricolor selection, probably in anticipation of the double.
The teams of France and Great Britain find themselves in the Billie Jean King Cup 42 years later… The last confrontation between the two nations dates back to 1981 (3-0 defeat for France). It was only the third Franco-British meeting after 1975 and 1976.
On the occasion of this qualifying round against Great Britain disputed on April 14 and 15, the French tennis team led by its captain Julien Benneteau, will try in Coventry to win its ticket for the final phase of the Billie Jean King Cup 2023. On the French side, Julien Benneteau has selected Clara Burel , Alizé Cornet, Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic . The Saint-Poloise returns to the France team. She had not participated last November in the play-off match against the Netherlands played at Portel. Kiki joined the France team on Monday afternoon from Charleston (USA), where she was playing in the doubles final.
The French largely favorites
If on paper the Blues will logically be favorites, Julien Benneteau approaches this qualifying round with suspicion: “This meeting will be difficult. We're playing outside and I don't know what kind of atmosphere we're going to have. Great Britain are a strong and cohesive team. But she will be deprived of her best player, Emma Raducanu (68th in the world).
Before leaving for Coventry, Caroline Garçia, Alizé Cornet and Clara Burel trained at the CNE at Roland-Garros. There, they had the surprise visit of the Cucquoise Pauline Parmentier . Their former teammate, now a young mother, presented her baby to her friends. They then flew to Coventry, joined by Kristina Mladenovic .
This match will therefore take place on Friday and Saturday at the Coventry Building Society (CBS) Arena. A room that can accommodate 1,500 spectators. Julien Benneteau will announce the names of the starting players on Thursday during the draw . Caroline Garcia, world number 5, will play the singles for sure. Alizé Cornet (70th) holds the rope for 2nd place.
A crunch not disputed for 42 years
Kristina Mladenovic (143rd in singles, but 14th in doubles) should play the doubles alongside Caroline Garcia, if it takes place. The formula of the ex-Fed Cup indeed provides that the double arrives at the end, after the four singles. However, France seems capable of winning the singles before, which would lead to the cancellation of the last meetings.
But the Northerner could also be aligned in singles, possibly on the 2nd day. Because if she lost places on the WTA circuit, Kiki remains a remarkable team player. She thus has the best quota, 15 victories in 25 meetings in the BJK Cup, among the four French selected. We remember in particular her remarkable performances during the 2019 Fed Cup final. She had indeed brought back the necessary victories against Australia.
The confrontation against the British looks less complicated. UK players are far behind in the WTA world rankings. Harriet Dart is 138th, Katie Boulder 154th and Heather Watson 169th. In the past, the two nations have faced each other three times in the Fed Cup, but that was a long time ago. France had won 2-1 in 1975 in Aix-en-Provence. Great Britain took its revenge the following year (3-0), in Philadelphia. Before winning by the same score in 1981 in Tokyo. But that was really in another era, when Virginia Wade was one of the best players in the world.
Kristina Mladenovic profile
Born on May 14, 1993 (29 years old) in Saint-Pol-sur-Mer (FRA) 1.84 m – Right-handed (two-handed backhand). Trained by Dzenita Mladenovic (her mother).
WTA rankings (Monday April 10, 2023): 143rd in singles; 14th in doubles
Singles record : 1 title (Saint-Petersburg); 7 finals lost
31 titles (including 3 in mixed doubles); 17 finals lost (including 2 in mixed doubles)
Best Grand Slam performance in singles : quarter-finalist at Roland-Garros in 2017; at the US Open in 2015
Best Grand Slam performance in doubles : Winner at the Australian Open in 2018 and 2020 [with Babos HUN)]; at Roland-Garros in 2016 [with Garcia (FRA)], 2019 and 2020 [with Babos (HUN)] and 2022 [with Garcia (FRA)]; in mixed doubles at the Australian Open in 2014 [with Nestor (CAN)] and 2022 [with Dodig (CRO)], and Wimbledon in 2013.
2023 season in singles : First round in Lyon; quarter-finalist at the ITF tournament in Astana
2023 doubles season : Quarter-finalist in Abu Dhabi [with Babos (HUN)]
and Charleston [with Zhang (CHN)]; Second round in Adelaide, the Australian Open and Dubai
BILLIE JEAN KING CUP
Debut in 2012 against Slovakia
35 matches played in 17 matches
Win-loss record: 25-10 (11-8 in singles; 14-2 in doubles)
Winner in 2019; Finalist in 2016
The Great Britain/France program in tennis
Thursday 13 April: draw (2 p.m.)
Friday April 14 (3 p.m.): opening ceremony, followed by the first two singles, played in the best of three legs
Saturday April 15 (1 p.m.): last two singles followed by the double.
All matches will be best of three sets with a tiebreaker in all sets.
All matches will be played unless the score is 3-0 after the third single. In this case, the last singles match may be cancelled.
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