U.S. Fed Cup team announced

Captain Mary Jo Fernandez included 17-year-old Melanie Oudin when she announced the United States Fed Cup team for the match against Argentina next month.

Other members of the squad announced Wednesday are 38th-ranked Bethanie Mattek, 34-year-old Jill Craybas and 32-year-old Liezel Huber. Mattek, 23, and Oudin are first-time picks.

Notably absent are the Williams’ sisters — Serena and Venus — longtime choices.

I am really excited about the team we are bringing to Surprise (Ariz.) to begin our pursuit of the 2009 Fed Cup title, Fernandez said without mentioning the sisters. We have a great mix of experience with Jill and Liezel, and youth with Bethanie and Melanie. We anticipate a competitive match against Argentina with an enthusiastic and passionate home crowd supporting us.

The Argentina-U.S. battle runs Feb. 7-8 at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex.

The Fed Cup is the world’s largest annual international women’s team competition, with 85 countries competing. The U.S. leads all nations with 17 titles.