Betting on the Fed Cup
The Fed Cup is the pinnacle of the women's tennis team events and has been in operation since 1963. The tournament was originally instated to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ITF (International Tennis Federation) but is now recognized alongside the men's team event, The Davis Cup.
The concept of the Fed Cup (formally known as the Federation Cup until 1995) was first drawn up in 1919 but was originally thrown out by the ITF. However support for the competition continued to grow among the professional ranks before a trial was ran in 1963. The popularity of the competition was so great that the completion has run every year since and is now one of the most lucrative events in women's tennis.
Betting on the Fed Cup is offered by most sportsbook sites. You will have to research the order of play before placing your bet - especially if you want to bet on the winning nation. It happens very often that the best players withdraw from the competition on short notice. The team captain then has to nominate a subsitute player, which of course weakens his teams chances.
Format of the Fed Cup
There are three territorial qualifying zones for the Fed Cup. These include America Zone, Euro/Africa Zone and the Asia/Oceanic Zone. Countries from each zone are placed within two groups based on ranking from the previous years Fed Cup ties. The qualifiers from each zone will head into the World Group II stage before then splitting and entering the World Group I stage proper.
The Fed Cup itself consists of the top 8 countries in the world. These countries play head to head over the course of the season before reaching the semi-final and final stages. Points are awarded in each match depending on results but games include both women's singles and doubles matches.
Each year the Fed Cup awards one player the Heart Award. This player is nominated by their peers after showing 'distinction, exceptional courage on court and demonstrating outstanding commitment to the team during fed Cup events'.
Best Fed Cup Betting sites
Bet365 – Non US
With so many games taking place over the course of the year in the Fed Cup it's often hard to keep track. Bet365 have such an extensive tennis betting section that betting on these games is made very simple. Whilst the lower qualifying games are often hard to find on any bookmaker, let alone bet365, the latter games and within the Fed Cup proper are in abundance.
Click here to find out more about Bet365.
Intertops – US Friendly
Intertops' tennis coverage is the best in the US at the minute. One of the factors behind this is the coverage of their Fed Cup betting markets. Whilst they don't offer the array of betting markets that some bookmakers do, they provide a very solid base for the majority of tennis bettors, including a host of competitions and tournaments from around the world.
You can get a $200 bonus when you register with BetOnline today by clicking this bonus link.