Tags : Fed Cup tennis match
Pennetta-Led Italy Blanks U.S. to Win Fed Cup Title
Reggio Calabria, Italy (AHN) – Flavia Pennetta’s opening singles match victory Sunday gave the Italians an unassailable 3-0 lead over the young American squad, helping Italy secure its second Fed Cup title in four years with a 4-0 win over the United States.
Pennetta, who logged straight-set singles win Saturday together with Francesca Schiavone, plastered U.S. Open quarterfinalist Melanie Oudin 7-5, 6-2 in Sunday’s first reverse singles bout at the Rocco Polimeni club.
The Italians then completed a shutout victory after the tandem of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci thumped their American counterparts, Vania King and Liezel Huber, 4-6, 6-3, 11-9.
Sunday’s triumph marked the first time Italy beat the U.S. in Fed Cup play in 10 all-time attempts.
It was also the first time the Italians ruled the event on home soil.
Italy snagged its first Fed Cup in 2006 when it defeated Belgium. It succumbed in the title showdown against Russia in the 2007 finale.
The US, which captured a record 17 Fed Cups, was missing the services of top players Serena and Venus Williams.
It made Oudin, 18, the highest ranked player in the squad at No. 49.
After facing each other in the title match in last week’s Sony Ericsson Championships in Qatar, the Williams sisters each decided against playing in this event.
The second reverse singles match Sunday between local bet Schiavone and American Alexa Glatch was not played.
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