“The past doesn’t matter,” Kerber told fedcup.com. “Every single match starts from zero. I think it will be a completely new match. We have a 50-50 chance.
Germany are capable of beating perennial Fed Cup favourites the Czech Republic at the semifinal stage this weekend, according to Angelique Kerber.
The two-time Grand Slam champion will line up alongside world No.11 Julia Goerges for the hosts in Saturday’s singles rubbers at the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart.
World No.6 Karolina Pliskova and two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova lead an impressive Czech Republic squad, winners of the Fed Cup in five of the last seven years.
Germany last won the title in 1992 and have lost eight of nine previous meetings with the Czechs, including the 2014 final in Prague.
“The past doesn’t matter,” Kerber told fedcup.com. “Every single match starts from zero. I think it will be a completely new match. We have a 50-50 chance.
“Czech Republic won the Fed Cup title so many times in the last years.
Back with the Team ???????? #WirfuerD #aufgehts @PorscheTennis @DTB_Tennis @FedCup pic.twitter.com/4QoUmrGT2H
— Jule Goerges?????????? (@juliagoerges) April 17, 2018
“They are a great team. They really know each other, play as a team. We played the finals against them in Prague (in 2014) and we know it’s not so easy to beat them, but now we are playing at home and we will try our best to win.
“It will be not so easy for sure, but we have also a great team.”
Kvitova played in all five of the Czechs recent Fed Cup victories but is wary of a potentially testing tie away from home.
“It will be very tough,” said Kvitova.
“We all know how Germany is a tough team. Angie and Julia are in great form so it will be interesting playing them in the Stuttgart Arena and it will be a great crowd.
“We’ll try to be strong as well. Every match will be very difficult and it’s like 50-50, so we’ll see.”
Defending champions the USA are without the Williams sisters, but still go into the other semifinal as favourites against France in Aix-en-Provence.
Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys and Coco Vandeweghe are all inside the world’s top 16, while No.20 Kristina Mladenovic is the only member of the French squad inside the top 100 singles players.
“I’m very confident that USA can make it to another final,” said Vandeweghe.
“We have a lot of depth in our team. From the singles players all the way to the doubles, I think we come together really well.”
Fourteen of the world’s top 20 women are in Fed Cup action this week, with No.1 Simona Halep hoping to help Romania past Switzerland in the World Group play-offs, and No.3 Garbine Muguruza on World Group II play-off duty for Spain against Paraguay.
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