Two good preview articles here:

Sears looks ahead to Fed Cup: http://www.lta.org.uk/Newsroom/AustralianOpen2008/Features/080115searsturnstofedcup.htm?BSMGuid=c25da43f-9855-49a7-b67a-971ee7f89c6a

South thrilled by call-up:
http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/sport/headlinesport/display.var.1986940.0.south_thrilled_by_cup_callup.php

BELARUS
Ima Bohush, Olga Govortsova, Tatiana Poutchek, Darya Kustova
Captain: Dmitri Tatur

BULGARIA
Tsvetana Pironkova, Dia Evtimova, Elitsa Kostova, Sesil Karatantcheva
Captain: Dora Rangelova

DENMARK
Caroline Wozniacki, Hanne-Skak Jensen, Karina Ildor Jacobsgaard, Eva Dyrberg
Captain: Maria Ramussen

GEORGIA
Oksana Kalashnikova, Sofia Kvatsabaia, Ekaterine Gorgodze, Tatia Mikadze
Captain: Lali Zerekidze

GREAT BRITAIN
Katie OBrien, Anne Keothavong, Elena Baltacha, Melanie South
Captain: Nigel Sears

HUNGARY
Agnes Szavay, Greta Arn, Melinda Czink, Kyra Nagy
Captain: Robert Machan

LUXEMBOURG
Anne Kremer, Claudine Schaul, Mandy Minella
Captain: Alioune Toure

NETHERLANDS
Nicole Thyssen, Pauline Wong, Arantxa Rus, Renee Reinhard
Captain: Manon Bollegraf

POLAND
Agnieszka Radwanska, Urszula Radwanska, Katarzyna Piter, Alicja Rosolska
Captain:Robert Piotr Radwanski

PORTUGAL
Neuza Silva, Magali De Lattre, Ana-Caterina Nogueira, Maria Joao Koehler
Captain: Pedro Cordeiro

ROMANIA
Iona-Raluca Olaru, Sorana-Mihaela Cirstea, Monica Niculescu, Simona Halep
Captain: Ruxandra Dragomir-Ilie

SERBIA
Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic, Ana Jovanovic, Teodora Mircic
Captain: Dejan Vranes

SLOVENIA
Andreja Klepac, Masa Zec-Peskiric, Polona Hercog, Diana Nakic
Captain: Iztok Bozic

SWEDEN
Sofia Arvidsson, Johanna Larsson, Michaela Johansson, Nadja Roma
Captain: Maria Strandlund-Tomsvik

SWITZERLAND
Patty Schnyder, Emmanuelle Gagliardi, Stafanie Voegele, Nicole Riner
Captain: Christiane Jolissaint

OOP - Hungary are a hour ahead of us

10:00 AM

Ct Center: Poland vs Romania
Ct 2: Sweden vs Slovenia
Ct 3: Belarus vs Georgia

2:30 PM

Ct Center: Denmark vs Hungary

4:00 PM

Ct 2: Netherlands vs Luxembourg
Ct 3: Great Britain vs Switzerland
Ct 4: Bulgaria vs Georgia

Anne Keothavong d. Emmanuelle Gagliardi 61 64

Katie lost 76 (5) 75 - A good fight from Katie over a top twenty player.

All rests of the doubles. GO GIRLS!

A good effort considering the strength of the opposition, but it isn't any easier tomorrow against the host nation. The match between Agnes Szavay (ranked 20) and whoever plays the top singles for us will be shown from 3.30pm on Magyar TV (m1) if anyone has a satellite system with the appropriate decryption. This is the report from the LTA site.

GB Fed Cup opener ends in defeat

Great Britains hard fought opening Fed Cup tie against Switzerland ended in a narrow defeat by two rubbers to one in Budapest this evening.

In the final rubber, Elena Baltacha and Mel South were looking to give the GB team the perfect end to day one of competition by securing victory over a strong Switzerland team of Emmanuelle Gagliardi and Patty Schnyder. After an even opening few games the Swiss pair started to show their class and, while often troubled by the British duo, took the first set 6-3. The second set was a similar story with Baltacha and South causing Gagliardi and Schnyder more problems before losing the set to the same score.

The doubles was competitive and closer than the score suggested but in the end Gagliardi and Schnyder proved that they are a class pair.

Nigel Sears, GB Fed Cup Captain

Earlier in the day, British number two Anne Keothavong got the GB team off to a fantastic start by beating the world number 126, Gagliardi, 6-1 6-4 with an impressive performance. Anne dominated throughout the match winning nine out of the first ten games before overcoming something of a revival by Gagliardi to take the match in straight sets.

I felt that today was one of Annes best ever performances. Right from the start she attacked and played some brilliant tennis.

Carl Maes, LTA Head of Womens Tennis

In the second rubber, Katie OBrien pushed the world number 14, Schnyder, all the way with a really strong performance. On paper this always looked like a tough match for the British number one but she showed the improvement she has made over the past few months and has clearly carried her form from the Australian Open into this weeks tournament. The British number one eventually lost 6-7(5) 5-7 having led 4-2 in the first set tie-break and 3-0 in the second set.

Katie fought her socks off and created opportunities but unfortunately missed a couple of crucial finishes, particularly at 4-2 up in the tiebreak and 3 love up in the second set.

Nigel Sears, GB Fed Cup Captain

Great Britain are competing in Europe / Africa Zone Group 1 and have been drawn in a round-robin pool with Switzerland, Hungary and Denmark. Tomorrow the GB team plays the host country, Hungary, who got off to a strong start with a 3-0 victory in their tie against Denmark.