Ostrava, Czech Republic – The 2013 opening-round Fed Cup tie between the host and two-time reigning champion Czech Republic and Australia will commence Saturday with a singles match between former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and Aussie Jarmila Gajdosova.
The best-of-five affair will be staged on an indoor hardcourt at Cez Arena.
Kvitova-Gajdosova will be followed by a rubber between Czech Lucie Safarova and former U.S. Open champion Samantha Stosur.
Sunday's reverse singles in Ostrava pit the world No. 8 Kvitova against the ninth-ranked Stosur in a battle of former Grand Slam champs and Safarova versus Gajdosova, while Sunday's doubles match has a Czech tandem of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka taking on an Aussie duo of Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua.
This will mark the first meeting between the two nations. Australia faced the former Czechoslovakia on seven occasions, going 3-4, with the last matchup coming in 1992.
The Czechs captured a second straight Fed Cup title last year by beating Serbia in the final.
The Czech Republic-Australia winner will meet the Italy-USA victor in the semifinals in April.
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