Sports News

Fed Cup tennis coach Jan Kukal says he is confident that Daja Bedanova will be fit in time for the crucial play-off against Canada. Goalkeeper Petr Cech has surprised a lot of people by signing for French club Rennes despite offers from more glamorous clubs, and runner Ludmila Formanova says she is confident she can make the time needed to get to the European Championships.

Sports News

Question mark over Bedanova's fitness ahead of crucial Fed Cup play-off

The Czech women's tennis team have been beset by problems, just eight days before a crucial Fed Cup play-off against Canada in the south Moravian town of Prerov. Kvetoslava Hrdlickova is definitely out with injury and Daja Bedanova has not been officially included in the team due to doubts over her fitness. Coach Jan Kukal however says he is confident Bedanova, who recently shone at Wimbledon, will be fit in time for the important clash with Canada.

"We're 99 percent sure that Daja Bedanova, who is currently ranked 18th in the world, will take part. Her name isn't in the team only because she hasn't started playing again after Wimbledon, and she still has to decide this weekend whether she will play. She didn't play in the mixed doubles with Petr Pala due to a back problem. She's recovering now, and we'll know at the start of next week if she's able to take part in the game."

Goalkeeper Petr Cech rejects offers from bigger clubs, signs with Rennes

Petr Cech, Photo:CTK

Only a week ago it seemed certain that Sparta Prague goalkeeper Petr Cech would join the English club Everton. It came as a big surprise therefore when it was announced on Tuesday that he had signed on the dotted line with the French first division side Rennes. Cech, who is 20, said he had chosen the less glamorous club because they had promised him regular first team action, adding that he did not want to end up like the Czech striker Milan Baros, who joined Liverpool at the beginning of the year and has harldy played at all. There has been a mixed reaction to Petr Cech's choice of club, with some pundits expressing worries that he may have sold himself short. Cech broke the Czech league's clean sheet record last season at Sparta; it appears that former Czech international Petr Kouba will now be the club's first choice keeper.

Runner Formanova must improve her times to reach European Championships

The Czech 800-metres runner Ludmila Formanova has been on the comeback trail after injury in recent months. However Formanova, who was European champion in 1999, has yet to achieve a time which would earn her a starting place at this year's European Athletics Championships, which take place in Munich next month. There are a few smaller meetings between now and then, at which Formanova still has a chance to record the necessary time of 2 minutes 00.8 seconds. She says she is confident of doing so.