Stanford University is the site of this weekend's KB Fed Cup final, which pits the United States against Russia.
The women's international team tennis competition will be held Saturday and Sunday at Stanford's Taube Family Tennis Stadium, site of the recent WTA Tour's Bank of the West Classic.
The Fed Cup format is two singles matches Saturday and two singles and a doubles match Sunday. Matches start at 1 p.m. both days.
The U.S. team is loaded with talent and has to be considered the favorite. Team captain Billie Jean King recently named four of the top six-ranked women in the world to the squad: No. 2 Lindsay Davenport, No. 3 Venus Williams, No. 4 Monica Seles and No. 6 Serena Williams.
"I couldn't be more pleased with the team that the United States will field for this Fed Cup final," King said. "The fact that the four highest-ranked women in the country have committed to play Fed Cup speaks highly about the state of the women's game in America. The depth of talent among the U.S. women is great. Lindsay, Venus, Monica and Serena will be excellent representatives for the strong group of American tennis players."
Davenport and Williams last played at Stanford Aug. 1 in the singles final of the Bank of the West Classic, which Davenport won in straight sets.
"I am so excited that the Fed Cup will be coming to California," Davenport said. "I love playing in California, the fans at Stanford really support tennis."
The U.S. has won Fed Cup 15 times since its inception in 1963, more than any other nation. The U.S. last won the Fed Cup in 1996 in Atlantic City.
In the July semifinals in Ancona, Italy, the U.S. - headed by the Williams sisters, Seles and Mary Joe Fernandez - defeated Italy 4-1. Russia defeated the Slovak Republic, 3-2 in Moscow to advance to the final. Earlier this year, the United States defeated Croatia 5-0 in Raleigh, N. C. The tie was relocated from Zagreb as a result of the Kosovo crisis.
Russian star Anna Kournikova chose not to play in the Fed Cup semifinals, in which Russia beat Slovakia 3-2, and she won't play in the finals, either. That means Russia will be led by No. 19 Elena Likhovtseva, No. 54 Tatyana Panova and No. 81 Elena Dementieva. Likhovtseva made the Bank of the West doubles finals with Kournikova.
Individual seats for each day of Fed Cup range in price from $30 to $110. Two-day packages cost $50-$200. Tickets for those 12 and under are $10 per day.
For individual and two-day ticket packages, call (408) 998-TIXS. For box seats, call 1-888-484-8782.