PRAGUE: Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will take on Andrea Petkovic in the opening rubber of the Fed Cup final between the Czech Republic and Germany starting in Prague today.
After yesterday’s draw, world number four Kvitova will face 14th-ranked Petkovic on the hardcourt of Prague’s O2 Arena at 1200 GMT today.
Then 17th-ranked Lucie Safarova will take on Germany’s world number ten Angelique Kerber.
“It really doesn’t matter who is going to play first,” said the 24-year-old Kvitova, who has lost four of seven encounters with Petkovic so far.
“It’s been a long time since we last played each other in 2011, a lot of things have changed since that time. I know I really need to be focused on myself.”
“I hope the home crowd will be an advantage for us,” said Kvitova, who led the Czechs to Fed Cup wins in 2011 and in 2012 when they beat Serbia 3-1 at a packed Prague arena.
Petkovic, who is 27, said she was happy to play the first match.
“Petra’s such a great player, she has a little more experience, she’s already won two Wimbledon finals and she won the Fed Cup before,” Petkovic said.
“We are nervous, definitely, in a good way, excited (but) we’ll try to transfer it into an energy and into positive emotions.”
Safarova lost her only rubber against Kerber in 2012, but she was upbeat ahead of the clash pitting two left-handers.
“Angie’s been a top ten player for a few years already so I expect a tough match, but I’m excited, looking forward, and I hope I will bring a point for the team,” said the 27-year-old Czech. Kerber, who is 26, said she knew Safarova well from common practices.
“Lucie is a great player, she has played very well in the last few months,” she added.
In tomorrow’s reverse singles rubbers, Kvitova will take on Kerber in a clash of the teams’ number-one players and Safarova will then face Petkovic.
A reunited Czech pair of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka are then due to take on Germany’s Julia Goerges and Sabine Lisicki in the doubles match.
Hlavackova and Hradecka decided to team up again last month after a 2013 split following two Grand Slam titles and the 2012 Olympic silver medal from London. “I have confidence in them and if it comes down to 2-2, it’s the best team I have,” said Czech captain Petr Pala.AFP
