Appelmans chosen as Belgium Fed Cup captain ahead of U.S. clash

ANTWERP, Belgium (AP) -Former player Sabine Appelmans was named captain Friday of Belgium's Fed Cup team which will play the United States in April.

Appelmans succeeds Carl Maes, who led the Belgian team into the 2006 final, where it lost to Italy. Maes took a coaching job in England.

Appelmans played the tour from 1987 until 2001 and won seven tournaments. In the Grand Slam tournaments, Appelmans earned her best result at the 1997 Australian Open, where she reached the quarterfinal. She gained a career-high 16th ranking in 1997.

Appelmans faces an uphill battle in her first Fed Cup captaincy which will be without Belgium's top two players - second-ranked Justine Henin and fourth-ranked Kim Clijsters. Belgium has no other player ranked in the top 100.

The United States will be able to count on both Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, at Delray Beach, Florida, on April 21-22.