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Fed Cup: Sloane Stephens to open for U.S. against France in semis

From left, France’s Team members Amandine Hesse, Pauline Parmentier, Kristina Mladenovic, captain Yannick Noah and United States’ Fed Cup team members, captain Kathy Rinaldi, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, Coco Vandeweghe, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, pose for photo after the draw ceremony in Aix-en-Provence, Friday, April 20, 2018. The Fed Cup semifinal matches between France and USA will take place Saturday and next Sunday. (Claude Paris / Associated Press)
Associated Press

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France – U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens will open play for the U.S. against Pauline Parmentier of France in the Fed Cup semifinals.

France No. 1 Kristina Mladenovic and CoCo Vandeweghe will follow on Saturday in the second singles at the new 6,700-capacity Arena Pays d’Aix. France has opted for an indoor clay court.

Mladenovic and Amandine Hesse are set to face Madison Keys and Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the doubles on Sunday following the reverse singles.

France and the United States meet for a 14th time, with the Americans holding an 11-2 winning record. The French won their most recent meeting, in 2014.

Both teams are missing their highest-ranked player: No. 8 Venus Williams for the U.S., and No. 7 Caroline Garcia for France.

Germany is facing the Czech Republic in the other semifinal in Stuttgart.