Navarro leads Spain in Fed Cup quarters

Carla Suarez Navarro plays the first match for Spain against the Czech Republic in this weekend’s Federation Cup quarterfinals in Brno.

The best-of-five series is to be played on an indoor carpet in the Czech Republic’s second largest city with the winner moving into the Fed Cup semifinals against the winner of the Argentina-U.S. quarterfinal, which is also this weekend.

Navarro, ranked 30th in the world, is to play Petra Kvitova, rated 42nd, in the opening singles match Saturday. That is to be followed by Spaniard Nuria Llagostera Vives, No. 66 in the world, going against Iveta Benesova, who is ranked 35th.

Sunday’s schedule calls for reverse singles ahead of a potentially deciding double match in which Spain would send Lourdes Dominguez Lino and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez against the Czech team of Benesova and Kveta Peschke.

Spain, which was the runner-up to Russia in last year’s Fed Cup, is 2-0 all time against the Czech Republic in Fed Cup pairings.