New York, Oct 31 (IANS) World number six Jessica Pegula has withdrawn from the American squad for the Billie Jean King Cup finals in Spain next month and will be replaced by 20-year-old and world-ranked 65 Ashlyn Krueger, the USTA said.
Krueger will join Danielle Collins, Caroline Dolehide, Peyton Stearns and Taylor Townsend on Davenport’s team that will compete at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena Arena from November 13-20, and for the first time, be held concurrently with the Davis Cup Finals at the same venue.
The US has also qualified for the Davis Cup Finals, which will be held from November 19-24. This year’s event will be a historic occasion, held concurrently with the Davis Cup Finals at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena Arena.
Pegula was a key player in the U.S. team’s qualifying round against Belgium, clinching two wins in April to help the U.S. secure a spot in the Finals.
Krueger’s entry comes as Pegula, the highest-ranked American woman in tennis, is set to compete in the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she continues her sensational season.
The 6-foot-1 right-hander notably played in the main draw of all four Grand Slam tournaments in 2024 for the first time, with a highlight coming at her home major: the US Open. Playing her fourth main draw in New York, Krueger reached the third round, upsetting No. 17 seed and Roland Garros semifinalist Mirra Andreeva en route.
She also reached the third round of a pair of WTA 1000-level events in Madrid and Toronto, and reached a career-high ranking of No. 51 in September.
She also reached the third round in WTA 1000 events in Madrid and Toronto, hitting a career-high ranking of No. 51 in September.
The Billie Jean King Cup Finals format is a 12-nation, knockout-style bracket, where each tie will be a best-of-three competition with two singles matches and one doubles match. The U.S. will play Slovakia in the first round on Nov. 14, with the winner advancing to play Australia in the quarterfinals.
The U.S. is the competition’s all-time leader with 18 Billie Jean King Cup titles and will hope to add a record-extending crown this year, and a first since 2017.
–IANS
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