Safarova, Ivanovic to open Fed Cup final

PRAGUE: Lucie Safarova of holders Czech Republic will take on Serbia's Ana Ivanovic in the first singles rubber of the Fed Cup final here on Saturday, after Friday's draw.

Safarova, the world number 17 and Czech number two, will face world number 12 Ivanovic, who is Serbia's number one, in Prague's O2 Arena from 1230 GMT on Saturday.

But Ivanovic face a tough challenge as the left-handed Safarova has beaten her in their last three encounters, the most recent being this year in Sydney.

In the second rubber on Saturday, Czech number one Petra Kvitova, who is recovering from a cold that forced her to pull out of the WTA Championship last week, will face Serbia's number two Jelena Jankovic.

The crowd of almost 14,000 people in the arena might make all the difference.

On Sunday, Kvitova will face Ivanovic, before Safarova plays Jankovic in the final singles tie.

The Czech Republic's Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka are then due to face Serbia's Bojana Jovanovic and Aleksandra Krunic in the closing doubles rubber.

But the doubles teams may change, with Serbia potentially deciding to use a stronger duo against the Czechs, who are 3rd and 4th in the doubles rankings after reaching the finals at Wimbledon, the US Open, the WTA Championship and the London Olympics.

The Czech Republic are defending the trophy after they beat Russia in Moscow 3-2 in 2011.

Former Czechoslovakia, which split peacefully into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, lifted the Fed Cup five times between 1975 and 1988.

Serbia are playing their first Fed Cup final. (AFP)