Kvitova to lead Czechs in Fed Cup finals

Petra Kvitova.jpg.crop_display.jpg

World number six Petra Kvitova will lead holders the Czech Republic in the Fed Cup final against Serbia in Prague on November 3-4, the Czech team said Wednesday.

Kvitova, last year's Wimbledon champion, will team up with world number 17 Lucie Safarova for the tie, captain Petr Pala told reporters.

Pala has also named Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka, world numbers 3 and 4 in doubles, who played the Wimbledon and US Open finals and won Olympic silver this year.

"The nomination is never easy, but I can say it was easier this time," Pala said, adding he believed Kvitova would regain her old form after a recent losing streak.

On Tuesday, Kvitova opened her defence of the WTA Championships title in Istanbul by losing to Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets.

"She always needs about a week to get back into shape," Pala said.

The finals will be played on a hardcourt in Prague's O2 Arena which has a capacity of 14,000.

The Czechs won the title last year with Kvitova leading them to a victory over Russia in Moscow. It was their first Fed Cup trophy since the country split from Slovakia in 1993.

The Czechs beat Italy in this year's semi-finals, while Serbia saw off Russia.

The former Czechoslovakia won five Fed Cup titles between 1975 and 1988.

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