Los Angeles - Shock Australian Open semi-finalist Coco Vandeweghe will lead the 17-time champion United States against Germany in a Fed Cup quarter-final showdown starting on Saturday in Lahaina, Hawaii.
Vandeweghe, ranked 20th, will face 57th-rated Julia Goerges in the second singles match on Saturday after American Alison Riske, ranked 40th, faces 51st-ranked Andrea Petkovic in the tie opener.
Sunday features the reverse singles matches followed by world doubles number one Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Vandeweghe facing Germany's Laura Sigemund and Carina Witthoeft in what could be a decisive doubles match-up.
Rain is in the Maui forecast but organizers are optimistic about completing the tie, the first for new US Fed Cup captain Kathy Rinaldi.
"It's very relaxing here. We're all working hard. We're enjoying ourselves," she said.
"Obviously we have tough opponents in Germany. They have a strong team."
The winner will face either Spain or the Czech Republic in the semi-finals on April 22-23 for a chance to compete for the 2017 Fed Cup title, while the loser competes in April's World Group playoffs to keep a spot in the trophy hunt for 2018.
Draw for this weekend's Fed Cup World Group I ties:
At Ostrava (Indoor, hard)
Czech Republic v Spain
Saturday
Barbora Strycova (CZE) v Garbine Muguruza (ESP)
Karolina Pliskova (CZE) v Lara Arruabarrena (ESP)
Sunday
Karolina Pliskova (CZE) v Garbine Muguruza (ESP)
Barbora Strycova (CZE) v Lara Arruabarrena (ESP)
Katerina Siniakova/Lucie Safarova (CZE) v Sara Sorribes Tormo/Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP)
At Maui, Hawaii (Outdoor, hard)
United States v Germany
Saturday
Alison Riske (USA) v Andrea Petkovic (GER)
Coco Vandeweghe (USA) v Julia Goerges (GER)
Sunday
Coco Vandeweghe (USA) v Andrea Petkovic (GER)
Alison Riske (USA) v Julia Goerges (GER)
Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Coco Vandeweghe (USA) v Laura Sigemund/Carina Witthoeft (GER)
At Minsk (Indoor, hard)
Belarus v Netherlands
Saturday
Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) v Michaella Krajicek (NED)
Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) v Kiki Bertens (NED)
Sunday
Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) v Kiki Bertens (NED)
Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) v Michaella Krajicek (NED)
Olga Govortsova/Vera Lapko (BLR) v Cindy Burger/Arantxa Rus (NED)
At Geneva (Indoor, hard)
Switzerland v France
Saturday
Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) v Alize Cornet (FRA)
Belinda Bencic (SUI) v Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)
Sunday
Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) v Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)
Belinda Bencic (SUI) v Aliz Cornet (FRA)
Martina Hingis/Viktorija Golubic (SUI) v Pauline Parmentier/Amandine Hesse (FRA)