Russia and the United States will face off in the semifinals of the Billie Jean King Classic women’s tennis tournament at the Grand Hyatt Washington on June 29. The event is running through Saturday.
The winner of the fourth-ranked U.S. team, made up of Andrea Sestini Hlavackova, CoCo Vandeweghe and Sloane Stephens, will play the fourth-ranked Russia team of Ekaterina Makarova, Vera Zvonareva and Elena Vesnina.
Sevilla’s Lourdes Dominguez Lino, who is the reigning Fed Cup champion, will be the captain for the U.S. team. She will be joined by other members of the U.S. Fed Cup Committee, which includes from left, coach Matthew Greenwald, U.S. Fed Cup Committee Chair Sasha Mielczarek, Jennifer Brady and President Mark McCormack.
The Billie Jean King Classic is now in its third year in Washington. Wimbledon champ Venus Williams won the 2017 event, and she is set to be the featured player in the finals June 26 and 27.
Tickets can be purchased online through Ticketmaster or through the Grand Hyatt Washington (The Lawn:301-656-7550) or its front desk. All proceeds go to the Billie Jean King for Women’s Sports Foundation, which funds the careers of female coaches around the world.
The Lady Gaga-helmed Billie Jean King Classic red carpet arrivals also raised money for the foundation. Donations made via the RFK Stadium App can be used to purchase a chair leg, tennis shoes or other odds and ends to customize and promote tennis in the kitchen of the US Tennis Association Women’s Futures Camp. The campaign starts this week, the finalists in the Billie Jean King Classic will be announced Friday, and the Grand Hyatt women’s singles winner will be crowned Sunday afternoon.