LONDON (AP) _ The two highest-ranked players in the first round of the Fed Cup will play in the opening singles matches for Russia on Saturday.

Ninth-ranked Nadia Petrova and fifth-ranked Svetlana Kuznetsova were picked Friday to lead a deep Russian team against Spain on clay at the Luzhniki Indoor arena. Petrova will open against Anabel Medina Garrigues and Kuznetsova, a former U.S. Open champion, will face Lourdes Dominguez-Lino.

Maria Sharapova and Dinara Safina are also ranked in the top 10, but neither will be playing this weekend. Eleventh-ranked Anna Chakvetadze will be there, however, teaming with Elena Vesnina to face Laura Pous-Tio and Nuria Llagostera Vives in doubles.

The doubles and reverse singles in the best-of-five series are scheduled for Sunday.

Meanwhile, Quebec tennis players Stephanie Dubois of Laval, Marie-Eve Pelletier of Repentigny, Valerie Tetreault of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Aleksandra Wozniak of Blainville will play for Canada against Israel on indoor carpet in Kamloops, B.C.

Canada advanced to this World Group II tie following its 3-2 victory over Argentina in Edmonton during July 2006. The win propelled Canada to an all-time best ranking of No. 10 on the ITF list.

Countries victorious in the World Group II tie will advance to the World Group I playoffs, while the losing countries will compete to remain in the World Group II competition for 2008.

The tie will be played on an indoor taraflex court and will be the first event hosted at the new Kamloops facility. Fed Cup matches were previously held in British Columbia in 1987 and 1996 in Vancouver.

Canada and Israel have met only once in Fed Cup competition. In a 1972 World Group opening round tie held in Johannesburg, South Africa, Canada defeated Israel 3-0.

Also in the first round, the United States hosts Belgium on outdoor hard courts in Delray Beach, Florida; France hosts Japan on outdoor clay in Limoges; and defending champion Italy will take on visiting China on outdoor clay in Castellaneta Marina.

Joining Canada in World Group II action, Slovakia hosts the Czech Republic on outdoor clay, Germany takes on visiting Croatia on outdoor clay and Australia visits Austria on indoor clay.

Top-ranked Justine Henin and No. 4 Kim Clijsters both pulled out of Belgium's team in February because of busy schedules. Third-ranked Amelie Mauresmo of France is injured.

Russia won back-to-back titles in 2004-05 but lost to eventual finalist Belgium last year. The Russians are a heavy favourite to reach the semifinals this weekend.

``If I stick to my game and tactics and do not give her a chance to drag me into long rallies, there will be no surprises,'' Petrova said.

Five-time champion Spain last won the title in 1998 and lost to Italy in the semifinals last season.

``Every match will be a tough one for us,'' Spain captain Miguel Margets said. ``In my 14-year career as a captain, this will be the most difficult tie to play.''

Italy, which beat Belgium in last year's final after Justine Henin pulled out of the deciding doubles match with a sore knee, will use Tathiana Garbin and Flavia Pennetta in singles.

Garbin will face Sun Tian Tian and Pennetta will play Peng Shuai. In doubles, Mara Santangelo and Roberta Vinci will take on Sun and Peng.

``Our opponents are not here to lose and no team is weaker than the other,'' Italy captain Corrado Barrazzutti said. ``This will be a very hard match and they also want to win it.''

France will be led by 18th-ranked Tatiana Golovin, who won her first WTA Tour singles title earlier this month at the Bausch & Lomb Championships.

Nathalie Dechy will open for France against Japan's Ai Sugiyama, and Golovin will follow in a match against Akiko Morigami.

In doubles, Golovin will team with Severine Bremond against Sugiyama and Ayumi Morita.

The United States will use surprise Australian Open champion Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Lisa Raymond and Vania King against Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens, Caroline Maes, Yanina Wickmayer and Tamaryn Hendler.

Serena Williams injured her groin in practice on April 9, then retired the next day while trailing Chan Yung-jan 5-3 at the Family Circle Cup. She said she would still play against Belgium, however.

``When I got hurt in Charleston, it wasn't even a second thought in my mind. I just knew I was going to be here,'' Williams said Wednesday.