Czechs advance on Kvitova wins

STUTTGART, Germany, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Petra Kvitova's second three-set victory locked up a Fed Cup quarterfinal series win Sunday for the Czech Republic over Germany.

Kvitova, the world No. 2, put the Czechs up 2-0 by winning a third set 10-8 Saturday against Julia Goerges. She came back in Sunday's first match with a 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-1 victory over Sabine Lisicki.

That sealed the best-of-five quarterfinals for the Czechs, who won the Fed Cup last year. They advance to the Fed Cup semifinals April 21-22 against either Italy or Ukraine.

Kvitova didn't drop serve in her Sunday match and had to deal with just four break points on the day. Lisicki didn't face a break point in the first set but lost one in the second that allowed Kvitova to again get to a third set.

Kvitova won two-thirds -- 58 percent receiving serve -- of the points in the third set.

Germany got a series point when Angelique Kerber beat Lucie Hradecka 6-4, 6-4, but the Czechs made the final score 4-1 with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) doubles win by Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova over Goerges and Anna-Lena Groenefeld.