Petra Kvitova leads the Czech Fed Cup team as they take on Germany in the first round of the World Group.
The Czech Republic enter this tie as the defending champions. Petra Kvitova enjoyed an incredible 2011 season and she capped it by leading her country to Fed Cup glory in November. Still only 21, Kvitova will be an ace in the pack for the Czech team for many years to come. The Wimbledon champion's serve and ferocious forehand make her a force to be reckoned with, particularly indoors.
And that's where Germany may have missed a trick with this tie. The Czechs are playing their fifth straight away tie and it makes little sense that the Germans have decided to host it indoors.
Kvitova's weakest surface is clay while Germany's number one Sabine Lisicki is quite comfortable on the red dirt so it's a little bizarre that they've chosen to compete on a fast indoor surface.
Kvitova really is the key for the Czechs this weekend. They badly need her to win her two singles rubbers as otherwise the Germans will be strong favourites. They have the rapidly improving Lisicki, the equally fast improving Julia Goerges (ranked 21 in the world) and US Open semi-finalist Angelique Kerber. In contrast, the Czechs are badly missing Lucie Safarova and they're hoping to make do with the experience of Iveta Benesova and Barbara Zahlavova Strycova.
Don't be surprised if Germany pull off a 3-2 upset win.
