Kvitova comes in from the cold to face Serbia
PRAGUE, Nov 1, 2012 (AFP) -The Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova insisted Wednesday she would beat a cold in time to face Serbia in the Fed Cup final in Prague next weekend with eyes on defending the trophy.
The 22-year-old world number eight led the Czechs to a victory over Russia in last year's finals in Moscow that handed them their first trophy since splitting from Slovakia in 1993.
But her health has become a major concern in the run-up to the 2012 final after she pulled out of the WTA Championships in Istanbul last week with a bad cold.
“I feel better every day, I feel better today than I did yesterday, and if it goes on like this, I'll be fit on Saturday,” said the 2011 Wimbledon champion.
Asked if she expected to play, she gave a clear “yes.”Czech team captain Petr Pala echoed that.
“We expect her to play, we never thought she wouldn't be playing,” he said.
Kvitova, the Australian and French Open semi-finalist this year, will team up with world number 17 Lucie Safarova for the Fed Cup final to form a lefthanded singles team.
Pala has also named Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka, world numbers 3 and 4 in doubles, who played the Wimbledon, US Open and WTA Championship finals and won Olympic silver this year.
Serbia, playing their first Fed Cup final ever, will rely on former world number one players Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, who are now 12th and 22nd.