Petra Kvitova says she and her Czech Fed Cup teammates want payback for their 2010 semifinal loss to Italy. The two-time defending champions have won seven straight ties, their last loss a semifinal shutout at the hands of the Italians. Flavia Pennetta won both of her singles matches and Francesca Schiavone added one singles win in that tie.
When the teams meet on clay in Palermo this weekend, Italy's Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci will play singles. Errani will open against Lucie Safarova and Vinci will face Kvitova, whom she beat in last week’s final in Katowice on indoor clay.
“Every single match is open, 50-50, maybe a little more favored for Italy. It’s more motivation for us and we remember when we lost here and we want to revenge this tie,” Kvitova told FedCup.com. ‘We don't want to lose against them here.”
Kvitova is 13-1 in Fed Cup singles since she lost to Pennetta back in Rome in 2010. She said she has to play a different match against Vinci this time around.
“She’s playing different than others and very special and every shot is different, so I have to prepare for everything,” she said. “You have to change a little tactics and think more, be more in rallies and not panic. It will be about the mental.”