Flavia Pennetta clinched Italy's
second Fed Cup title on Sunday with a straight-set victory over American
Melanie Oudin in the first of the day's reverse singles matches.
Pennetta posted a 7-5, 6-2 triumph to give Italy an insurmountable 3-0 lead in
the best-of-five tie.
"It's a very nice feeling," said Pennetta. "We worked hard to get to this
point and finally we made it. In the beginning of the week everyone expects so
many things, and we were very nervous. But now we are three-love and we can
enjoy."
Sunday's second reverse singles match between Francesca Schiavone of Italy and
Alexa Glatch of the U.S. was not played. The Italians then completed a 4-0
triumph with a doubles victory by the team of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci,
who notched a 4-6, 6-3, 11-9 triumph -- the third set played as a match
tiebreaker -- over the American tandem of Vania King and Liezel Huber.
Italy captured its first Fed Cup crown in 2006 with a victory over Belgium and
lost in the title series to Russia in 2007.
The Americans, appearing in their first Fed Cup final since 2003, have not won
the title since the last of their record 17 crowns in 2000.
Oudin, a surprise U.S. Open quarterfinalist this summer, was broken in the
first game of Sunday's match. She managed to break back in the 10th game with
Pennetta serving for the set, but the Italian came right back with a break in
the next game and held serve to close out the opening set.
After Oudin held in the first game of the second set, Pennetta reeled off four
straight games to take control. She finished the match with a backhand down
the line to give Italy the crown.
"In the first set it was so close and I had a lot of chances, so I feel like
if a couple things would have gone my way or if I would've hit this shot on
that point, then it would have changed the momentum in the match," said Oudin.
"But after she won the first set, just like what happened yesterday, she kind
of ran away with it. I think I letdown a little bit."
Pennetta and Schiavone won singles matches on Saturday to give the Italians a
commanding 2-0 lead. Pennetta secured the first point for the home country
with a 6-3, 6-1 rout of Glatch before Schiavone followed with a 7-6 (7-2), 6-2
victory over Oudin.
Italy beat the United States in Fed Cup play for the first time in 10 all-time
tries.
The Americans were playing without Serena and Venus Williams, who each decided
against playing this weekend after concluding their 2009 campaigns in last
week's Sony Ericsson Championships in Qatar. Serena beat Venus for the title
of the season-ending tournament.
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