Melbourne VIC, Australia, 2 April 2014 | tennis.com.au

World No.7 Angelique Kerber will lead Germany’s Fed Cup team into battle against Australia in the World Group semifinals, according to a report in the Global Times.

The German team is also expected to include 40th-ranked Andrea Petkovic, No.89 Julia Goerges and Anna-Lena Groenefeld, ranked 13th in doubles.

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Reigning Wimbledon finalist and world No.15 Sabine Lisicki – Germany’s second-ranked player – will not make the trip to Brisbane for the tie on 19-20 April.

It’s the same German line-up that beat Slovakia 3-1 in Bratislava in the first round of the World Group in February.

Despite a dip in their rankings, Petkovic is a former top 10 player and Goerges was ranked No.15 as recently as 2012.

Australia last played Germany in the World Group Play-offs in 2012, beating the hosts 3-2 on an indoor clay court in Stuttgart.

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