Depleted Czechs, Swiss battle in Fed Cup semis

Defending champions Czech Republic will have to make do without leading duo Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova for this weekend's Fed Cup semi-final against Switzerland in Lucerne. With two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova struggling for form and Safarova sliding down the rankings as she grapples with the impact of a bacterial infection from last September, the Czechs will count on 18th-ranked Karolina Pliskova as they bid for a fifth title in six years. Pliskova won both singles rubbers before tea