Inexperienced Czech team to face U.S. in Fed Cup semifinals

PRAGUE (AP) Defending champion Czech Republic will be without its major stars in next week's Fed Cup semifinals against the United States.

An inexperienced team of Katerina Siniakova, Kristyna Pliskova, Denisa Allertova and Marketa Vondrousova has been selected for the April 22-23 series on an outdoor clay court at Saddlebrook Resort in Florida.

Pliskova and Vondrousova are newcomers while Siniakova and Allertova have played Fed Cup doubles once before.

Karolina Pliskova, Barbora Strycova and Lucie Safarova, who helped the Czechs win five of the past six Fed Cup titles, are not available.

The Czechs will also miss Petra Kvitova because of injuries she suffered during a knife attack in December.

The winner advances to the Fed Cup final on Nov. 11-12.