US hopes to have Williams sisters in Fed Cup squad

NEW YORK, Jan 29 (Reuters) The US is hoping newly crowned Australian Open champion Serena Williams will join her sister Venus in the team to meet Belgium in a Fed Cup quarter-final in April.

US Fed Cup captain Zina Garrison announced today that former-world number one and five-time grand slam winner Venus Williams, who missed the Australian Open due to a wrist injury, would lead the U.S. team against the Belgians.

Garrison also said she hoped to convince Serena Williams to play in the April 21-22 tie in Delray Beach, Florida close to the Williams home.

Serena Williams completed a dazzling fortnight in Melbourne on Saturday by demolishing Russian Maria Sharapova 6-1 6-2 in the Australian Open final to lift her eighth grand slam title ''I'm looking forward to trying to get her and after that great win at the Australian Open hopefully will have her,'' said Garrison during a conference call.

''I'm not trying to think Serena won't play, I'm trying to stay positive and hopefully the fact that it is in her backyard and she won't have to go that far.

''I think being back in Delray Beach gives me a lot of edge since it's close to her home.

''She seems very hungry and very eager just to be back on the court.'' Venus Williams, who is scheduled to return to competitive play in two weeks in Belgium, is 13-3 in Fed Cup play (10-2 singles, 3-1 doubles) and helped the US win the title in 1999 defeating Russia in the final.

However, she has not played in the Fed Cup since a 2005 semi-final in Russia the week after she won Wimbledon, her last grand slam title.

''She (Venus) has been training exceptionally hard,'' said Garrison.

''The thing I like most is, I tried to get her to come out and stay here in Delray but she likes to stick to her schedule and when she does that it means she's very focused on what she needs to do and what she wants to do and that's always a great sign.'' Garrison will announce the rest of her line-up at a later date.

Reuters DH VP0206