Petra Kvitova and Karolina Pliskova set to miss Fed Cup tie against Canada
Fed Cup World Group Play-ff round will take place between April 20-21, with eight countries fighting to stay in the elite group in 2020. For the first time since 2008, the Czech Republic will not play in the semi-final, losing to Romania 3-2 in Ostrava in February for the wors Fed Cup result in a decade, having to battle against Canada in Prostejov to avoid World Group 2 relegation. The defending Fed Cup champions and the winners of six titles in the last eight years, the Czechs will have to fight against Bianca Andreescu and the rest of the Canadian team without their leading singles players Petra Kvitova and Karolina Pliskova.
Top-10 stars will play on Monday in Miami, seeking the place in the quarter-final before switching the focus on clay and setting eyes on individual results and both entering big Premier event in Stuttgart in the week after Fed Cup. Petra and Karolina have informed the captain Petr Pala about their absence and he will have to seek for the best possible solution, having Katerina Siniakova, Barbora Strycova and Marketa Vondrousova in the top-60 of the singles ranking. Fed Cup Commitment Award winner Petra Kvitova has been playing for her country since 2007 when she was just 17, defending the national colors in 11 seasons and missing the action only in 2017 after the attack she suffered at the end of 2016.
Petra has won 30 Fed Cup ties so far and led the Czech Republic towards the title in four years, winning six out of eight final rubbers. Karolina Pliskova is on a 15-5 score in Fed Cup rubbers, winning all four in doubles and delivering some big singles triumphs as well to help her country staying the most consistent team in the competition in the last ten years.
"Karolina and Petra have excused themselves to the captain before the upcoming playoffs against Canada. We wish Karolina and Petra, who have played so many important and tough rubbers in the past, success in America and a smooth transition to the clay season. Petr Pala is already in talks with other players who could play at Easter," said the Czech Fed Cup Team.
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2Yl9Qjz
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