Muguruza ready to lead Spain's fight against dominant Czechs in Fed Cup

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  • Muguruza (l) and Strycova at the Fed Cup draw on Friday in Ostrava (Credit: Michal Cizak/Getty)

    Garbine Muguruza will kick-off Spain’s bid to end the Czech Republic’s streak of 10 consecutive Fed Cup ties won when the two teams square-off in the first round in Ostrava on Saturday.

    The Czechs are the defending champions, have won the title in five of the last six years and are looking to reach their ninth straight Fed Cup semi-final. Spain on the other hand are hoping to make the last-four of the World Group for the first time since 2008.

    Muguruza, who owns a 6-0 record in singles rubbers in Fed Cup, faces a tricky opener against world No17 Barbora Strycova on Saturday at the Ostravar Arena.

    “Fed Cup is very different to the day to day life we have on the tennis circuit. You get to soak up the great atmosphere and it’s something I like very much. We share a lot together as a team during the week and we feel that we are part of something important,” Muguruza wrote in a blog post for her sponsors BBVA.

    “The tie is a terribly difficult one. We are playing away from home against a very tough team looking to defend their title. When we competed in Lerida last year, it was such a joy to have the support of our home crowd. Here I don’t think we’ll have the same support but I love competing in full arenas with a great atmosphere, even if the crowd is against us.

    “We are here to fight and give our best. You must play the matches because you never know what can happen until the last point. We will give them a battle.”

    Strycova is 1-2 against the Spanish world No7 head-to-head but has beaten Muguruza in their most recent meeting, at last year’s Australian Open.

    “We need that one,” Spain captain and former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez was quoted as saying by www.fedcup.com. “Barbora is playing really good tennis at the moment. She is a very smart player and can be very dangerous. Hopefully Garbine is going to play a great match and we can grab that one.”

    The second singles rubber of the day will see world No3 Karolina Pliskova take on world No70 Lara Arruabarrena, who is filling in for Spain’s No2, Carla Suarez Navarro, who is nursing a right shoulder injury that has also forced her out of her title defence in Doha next week.

    Over in Geneva, best friends Belinda Bencic and Kristina Mladenovic will be on opposite sides of the net as Switzerland host France at the Palexpo.

    World No16 Timea Bacsinszky will commence proceedings for the Swiss and will be looking to halt her three-match losing streak to her French opponent Alize Cornet, who is ranked 43 in the world.

    “I represent Switzerland all year long, everywhere, but being there playing as a team, fighting for each other – you’re not only playing for yourself, you’re playing really for your team-mates as well,” Bacsinszky said. “For me it’s totally different from playing the whole year on tour. It’s a different feeling.”

    Bencic, the Swiss ex-world No7 who is now down to 81 following an injury-plagued season, is 1-1 head-to-head against the 31st-ranked Mladenovic, who captured her maiden WTA title in St. Petersburg last Sunday.

    Other first round action sees Belarus host the Netherlands in Minsk, where Dutchwoman Michaella Krajicek will contest her first Fed Cup singles rubber in five years when she takes on Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

    “About two years ago she decided she wanted to give the singles a 100 per cent go again because she had struggled with injuries – she had four knee operations – and started feeling good again and was doing really well,” said Netherlands captain Paul Haarhuis. “But she got injured again and was out for nine months with an elbow injury. Now she’s back on track, fit and healthy, and still wants to give her singles a good run.”

    A Coco Vandeweghe-led USA host Germany – led by Laura Siegemund in the absense of world No2 Angelique Kerber – in Maui with the Americans led by a new captain, Kathy Rinaldi, after Mary Joe Fernandez stepped down from the post end of last year.

    Vandeweghe (world No20) is joined by Alison Riske (No40), Shelby Rogers (No53) and doubles world No1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands on the US squad while Siegemund has Andrea Petkovic (No51), Julia Goerges (No57) and Carina Witthoeft (No77) on her side.

    World Group first round fixtures
    Czech Republic v Spain, Ostrava (Indoor hardcourt)
    Saturday
    16:30 Barbora Strycova v Garbine Muguruza
    Followed by Karolina Pliskova v Lara Arruabarrena
    Sunday
    16:00 Karolina Pliskova v Garbine Muguruza
    Followed by Barbora Strycova v Lara Arruabarrena
    Followed by Lucie Safarova/Katerina Siniakova v Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez/Sara Sorribes Tormo

    Switzerland v France, Geneva (Indoor hardcourt)
    Saturday
    17:00 Timea Bacsinszky v Alize Cornet
    Followed by Belinda Bencic v Kristina Mladenovic
    Sunday
    16:00 Timea Bacsinszky v Kristina Mladenovic
    Followed by  Belinda Bencic v Alize Cornet
    Followed by Viktorija Golubic/Martina Hingis v Amandine Hesse/Pauline Parmentier

    Belarus v Netherlands, Minsk (Indoor hardcourt)
    Saturday
    13:00 Aliaksandra Sasnovich v Michaella Krajicek
    Followed by Aryna Sabalenka v Kiki Bertens
    Sunday
    12:00 Aliaksandra Sasnovich v Kiki Bertens
    Followed by Aryna Sabalenka v Michaella Krajicek
    Followed by Olga Govortsova/Vera Lapko v Cindy Burger/Arantxa Rus

    USA v Germany, Maui (Outdoor hardcourt)
    Draw to be made at 2:00am UAE time

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