Billie Jean King Cup: Germany welcomes Brazil in the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart
From April 14 to 15, 2023, Porsche Team Germany will meet Brazil at home. It is now certain that the qualifying game in the Billie Jean King Cup (formerly Fed Cup) will take place in Stuttgart. The match will be played on clay in the Porsche Arena, immediately before the start of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
by p.m
last edit: Feb 01, 2023, 04:06 pm
Germany's tennis women have not played in front of their home crowd since February 2019. That's changing now: "I'm really looking forward to the first home game in a long time and the girls are doubly motivated. Of course, what I wish for, in addition to victory, are many spectators who support us," says Billie Jean King Cup captain Rainer Schüttler.
"We are delighted that Porsche Team Germany is once again a guest in the Porsche Arena after a long time," says Deniz Keskin, Head of Brand Management and Partnerships at Porsche AG. “The important first-round match against Brazil in the Billie Jean King Cup is a great start to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and the tournament week in Stuttgart. She gets the fans in the mood for the traditional tournament with exciting matches, where numerous top stars are again at the start.”
Germany and Brazil have met four times in the Billie Jean King Cup, most recently the German team won 4-0 in Florianópolis in 2020. "It's going to be harder this time. Both teams play in a different constellation,” said Schüttler. Brazil's top star Beatriz Haddad Maia, currently number 14 in the world, was absent from the last encounter. "She's a very strong player," explains the German captain.
Porsche Team Germany secured their place in the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers in November with a 3-1 win over Croatia. There were three individual debuts in the German team back then: Jule Niemeier, Eva Lys and Anna-Lena Friedsam scored three points in their debut. Shaker satisfied: "All three have shown that they can hold their own under pressure. Laura Siegemund has a lot of experience, as does Tatjana Maria, who unfortunately missed Croatia due to injury but will hopefully be there against Brazil. The team is very balanced. It's great that we were able to stay in the world group and play in the premier league again in 2023.” The declared goal is to reach the finals in November. Schüttler: "We definitely want to win against Brazil and be in the final."
As this year's finalists, Switzerland and Australia have already been confirmed as participants in the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Finals, in which a total of 12 teams will compete for the title. Then there are the nine winners of the qualifying round. Last place in the finals goes to the host. If the host has already qualified, a wildcard will be awarded.