Top Czech player Petra Kvitova says she will try and play Fed Cup final against Serbia this coming weekend, but other than playing a one set exhibition against Maria Sharapova on Monday night that she had to drag herself out of bed to do, she has not played in a week due to virus.
At a pre Fed Cup press conference on Wednesday in Prague, Kvitova looked and sounded worse than she did last week when she pulled out of the WTA Championships in Istanbul. She was not even sure whether or not she would be able to practice on Wednesday, but did say that her plans are to be on court on Saturday when the tie begins.
I do feel better and I want to play,” Kvitova said.
Czech captain Pert Pala added: “We expect her to play. We never thought she wouldn’t be playing.”
Just in case Kvitova regresses (she has had four different viruses this season) Pala has brought world No. 28 Klara Zakopalova along as a practice partner and as a possible replacement. No. 17 Lucie Safarova is set to play No. 2 singles, while the world’s No. 2 team of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka are slated to play doubles
Serbia is led by No. 12 Ana Ivanovic and No. 22 Jelena Jankovic, both of whom are former No. 1s. Bojana Jovanovski, 20, could see action in doubles.
The Serbian Fed Cup team is hoping to accomplish what their male Davis Cup team did in 2010 – win the crown for the first time.
“It would be amazing to add title to our names,” Ivanovic said. “It’s different from individual competition for us and to match what the guys did would be incredible.”
©Daily Tennis News Wire
Topics: Czech tennis news, Fed Cup, Maria Shatrapova, Petra Kvitova, Serbian tennis news, Sports, women tennis news