Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters leads a strong Belgium team against the USA in the first round of the Fed Cup this weekend.
Justine Henin's recent injury enforced retirement may have dealt the Belgium squad a bit of a blow but when you can still call on the winner of the last two majors, things are not too bad. Clijsters is undisputedly the player to beat at the moment having won the US Open, the end of season WTA Championships and the Australian Open and few would bet against her picking up more big prizes come May-June.
Backing her up is world number 26 Yanina Wickmayer who has been knocking on the door of the world's elite for a couple of years. Still just 21, Wickmayer has a very bright future and she's won 11 of her 15 Fed Cup rubbers.
Things look fairly bleak for a USA side deprived of the Williams sisters. Bethanie Mattek-Sands was on song last month as she enjoyed victory at the Hopman Cup and made the Hobart final but you cannot see her beating either Clijsters of Wickmayer. The same goes for Vania King and Melanie Oudin.
The USA's best chance of nicking a rubber will come in the doubles where they can call on the experience of world number six Liezel Huber but otherwise it should be all Belgium.
