U.S. Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez hasn't ruled out asking Venus and Serena Williams to play the Fed Cup final against Italy in November, even though both sisters turned down requests to play ties in February and April this year. Fernandez praised her core group—Melanie Oudin, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Liezel Huber—but said that her priority is grabbing the Cup for the U.S. for the first time since 2000.
“Our main goal is to win," Fernandez said. "So we will put together the best team possible to win the final. That's what we always do with every single tie. I have so much faith in this team right here. This has been my team. They're doing all the work. They're out there competing their hearts out. It's really all about them. It's not about anything else. It's about the team that's here playing, that wants to be here, that wants to win, and comes through in the clutch moments.”—M.C.