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Czechs to take on Russia in Fed Cup

LOS ANGELES - Tennis Channel will have exclusive, live coverage of the Czech Republic’s and Russia’s Fed Cup championship in Prague, Czech Republic, this weekend, with comprehensive telecasts Saturday, Nov. 14, and Sunday, Nov. 15. Five-time major winner Maria Sharapova of Russia will face two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova after having recently lost to the Czech star at the WTA Finals two weeks ago. Sharapova has the career upper hand, though, holding a 6-4 record against Kvitova.

The year-ending championship competition between reigning Fed Cup titlist Czech Republic and Russia will consist of two singles matches on Saturday, and two singles matches and the doubles match Sunday. Tennis Channel will carry all matches, beginning at 8a.m. ET on Saturday and 6 a.m. ET on Sunday.

The Czech Republic and Russia have faced each other five times in Fed Cup play, with the Czech Republic holding a 3-2 advantage. The most recent competition between the two countries took place in the 2011 Fed Cup championship, when the Czech Republic upset Russia3-2to win its eighth Fed Cup title. The Czech Republic, with eight titles, is the second-most successful nation on the all-time list of Fed Cup champions, behind only the United States (17).

Tennis Channel’s Fed Cup Final coverage is as follows (all time ET):

Saturday, Nov. 14:

8a.m. -Live Singles #1
10a.m. -Live Singles #2

Sunday, Nov. 15:

6a.m. -Live Singles #3
11a.m. -Singles #4*

(*Digital-subscription service Tennis Channel Plus will carry the doubles match live following Sunday’s singles play, at approximately 11 a.m. ET)

The Czech Republic enters this weekend’s matchup after an impressive 3-1 semifinal victory over France in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Defending Fed Cup champion Czech Republic has not lost a final since 1986, when it competed as Czechoslovakia. The Czech team is captained by Petr Pala and features Kvitova, Lucie Safarova, Karolina Pliskova and Barbora Strycova.

Russia earned its spot in this weekend’s matchup after an impressive 3-2 victory over Germany in its semifinal round, and is in its first final since 2013. The Russians dominated the mid-2000s with two sets of separate back-to-back championships in 2004 and 2005, and again in 2007 and 2008. Russia’s team is captained by Anastasia Myskina and features Sharapova, Ekaterina Makarova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Elena Vesnina.

Posted on November 12, 2015
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