Johannesburg – For the first time since 2005, South Africa's highest ranked women's singles player Chani Scheepers has made herself available for Fed Cup duty.
“Chani assured me that she is totally committed to South African tennis,” newly-appointed Fed Cup captain Earl Grainger said in a statement on Monday.
“We spoke about her not being available for Fed Cup in the past and we discussed the future. Chani wants to help us in every possible way and I was delighted that she agreed to be part of the Fed Cup squad.”
Scheepers was named in the 2014 Fed Cup squad comprising 15 of the country's top senior and junior players.
Together with Tennis SA, Grainger planned to completely overhaul the Fed Cup system in the country, he said.
Twelve of the fifteen squad members were named on Monday and a further three players would shortly be added to the squad.
The Fed Cup team would be named on Friday to play in the Euro Africa Group 2 tournament in Lithuania from April 16 to 19.
Doubles specialist Natalie Grandin of Durban and leading coach Allan Karam of Pretoria would work with Grainger and the players in the squad.
Fed Cup squad: Chani Scheepers, Chanel Simmonds, Natasha Fourouclas, Madrie Le Roux, Natalie Grandin, Ilze Hattingh, Michelle Sammons, Lynn Kiro, Zani Barnard, Lee Barnard, Theresa Van Zyl and Janet Koch. – Sapa