Source: Times Argus

Tennis fans reacted quickly to the word that world-class women players would be playing in Vermont for the first time in nearly two decades by snapping up tickets and forcing additions to a planned 3,000-seat stadium

Tickets for July's Fed Cup matches in Stowe went on sale Tuesday, and by Thursday, more than 4,000 tickets had been sold.

The fast fan response caused the Untied States Tennis Association, which runs the event, to increase the size of the planned stadium from 3,000 seats to 4,100.

In a conference call Thursday, United States Tennis Association Director of Team Competition Jeff Ryan said: "Very shortly the allotment of tickets will be sold out."

Ryan was asked about the possibility of a further increase in the seating capacity.

"When it comes down to it, our job is to fit everything into the site," Ryan said. "(Seating at) 4,100 is a good number that will create a positive experience for everyone, but I am looking at the possibility of placing more seats."
  

Construction on the site at Topnotch Resort, which will include everything from the court to the seats, will likely start around June 20 with a July 9 target date for completion.The Fed Cup is an international team competition in which national teams of professional players play a year-long, single-elimination tournament in a series of two-day "ties" featuring four singles matches and one doubles match. The first team to win three matches wins the tie and advances. The tie in Vermont will pit the United States against Russia at the Topnotch Resort in Stowe on July 14, 15 in the 2007 Fed Cup's semifinals.

The players for both teams have yet to be announced, but must be named at least 10 days prior to the tie.

The Russian captain can choose from world No. 2 Maria Sharapova, third-ranked Svetlana Kuznetsova and ninth-ranked Anna Chakvetadze. There are seven Russian players ranked in the top 20 of women's tennis.

For the United States, captained by Zina Garrison, Serena and Venus Williams are the top-ranked players, but only Serena Williams is in the top 10 at the No. 8 ranking. Venus Williams is ranked 27th. The next three ranked players for the U.S. are ranked 39th, 61st and 63rd.

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