The Fed Cup final could feature a Wimbledon final rematch.
Maria Sharapova will lead a Russian squad that includes Ekaterina Makarova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Elena Vesnina in the November 14-15th Fed Cup final against the Czech Republic in Prague. The final will be staged on hard court at the 02 Arena.
Video: Radwanska's Reverse Running Pass
"It's great that all the girls agreed immediately to play," Russian captain Anastasia Myskina said after announcing the team in Moscow today.
Czech Republic captain Petr Pala has not yet announced the host's roster for the final. If Czech No. 1 Petra Kvitova plays as expected it could set up a blockbuster rematch of the 2011 Wimbledon final that saw Kvitova sweep Sharapova, 6-3, 6-4, to capture her first career Grand Slam title.
The final is a rematch of the 2011 final when Kvitova beat Maria Kirilenko and Svetlana Kuznetsova to help lead the Czech Republic to a 3-2 victory in Moscow. Kvitova, who is riding a seven-match Fed Cup winning streak, has posted a 25-6 Fed Cup singles record.
Sharapova is 6-3 lifetime against Kvitova. The 28-year-old Russian has won four of six meetings with Czech No. 2 Lucie Safarova, however Safarova won their most recent match, 7-6 (3), 6-4, in the French Open fourth round.
The third-ranked Sharapova has been sidelined nursing a leg injury since her Wimbledon semifinal loss to Serena Williams. Sharapova was moving well in practice before withdrawing from the US Open last month. She is scheduled to return to tournament tennis in Wuhan next week. The second-seeded Sharapova has a first-round bye and will play either Czech Barbora Strycova or a qualifier in round two.
Sharapova was Russia's first-ever female flag bearer at the Olympic Games. She withdrew from the Fed Cup semifinal on the red clay of Sochi in April citing a leg injury "that "didn't allow me to prepare for the match to the full extent."
In Sharapova's absence Pavlyuchenkova and Svetlana Kuznetsova led Russia to a 3-2 semifinal win over Germany. Days after the tie, Sharapova played Stuttgart.
Sharapova beat both Radwanska sisters leading Russia to a 4-0 sweep of host Poland in Krakow in the World Group first round last February. She owns a 5-1 career Fed Cup record.