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 Photographer: Ray Giubilo
Date: 27 Apr 2008 |  Photographer: Ray Giubilo
Date: 27 Apr 2008 |  Photographer: Ray Giubilo
Date: 27 Apr 2008 |  Photographer: Ray Giubilo
Date: 27 Apr 2008 |  Photographer: Ray Giubilo
Date: 27 Apr 2008 |  Photographer: Ray Giubilo
Date: 27 Apr 2008 |  Photographer: Ray Giubilo
Date: 27 Apr 2008 |  Photographer: Ray Giubilo
Date: 27 Apr 2008 |  Photographer: Ray Giubilo
Date: 27 Apr 2008 |  Photographer: Ray Giubilo
Date: 27 Apr 2008 |
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| 27 Apr 2008 - Geovillage, Olbia - Adam Lincoln - ITA v UKR | |
| Schiavone and Errani see Italy home |
Blending youth and experience to perfection, Italy has kept its cherished hold on Fed Cup World Group status with a 3-2 win over Ukraine in Olbia.
After the first day’s play saw the tie levelled at 1-1, Italian numero uno Francesca Schiavone put her team ahead with a straight sets defeat of Alona Bondarenko. The burden of sealing the result for the local side then fell on the young shoulders of Sara Errani , playing her first live rubber. To the delight of her teammates and partisan fans the 21-year-old didn’t flinch, producing a mature display to despatch Katerina Bondarenko by a scoreline of 63 62.
Bondarenko loses hold on first set potential
The Sardinian sun beating down, 27-year-old Schiavone was slow out of the blocks against the elder Bondarenko sister, who is ranked three places higher and defeated the Italian the two previous occasions they played. For her part, the Ukrainian player was in her groove from the get-go, firing clean winners from both sides to keep her opponent off-balance.
But, serving for the first set at 5-3, Bondarenko’s game began to unravel. A double fault and two backhand errors, including a wild miss on a short ball, let Schiavone break to love and she evened the score by holding her own serve in similar fashion.
Indeed, for the second time in two days she produced a 12-point winning streak when she needed it most – actually today it would extend to 14 points – breaking Bondarenko to love again and missing just one shot on her way to securing the set 75.
Schiavone’s unpredictable play a winner
“Francesca started to play better, without mistakes, and I didn’t push her,” said Bondarenko afterwards, providing an accurate assessment of the shift in momentum. The Italian added: “My strategy was to play high, play flat and play low, and not let her think that anything would be the same.” By now, Schiavone’s net game had come into its own, and throughout the second set she backed it up with far more patient play than her increasingly frustrated opponent could muster.
Even so, down 1-4, Bondarenko stopped the rot by breaking for 2-4 and holding her own serve to edge even closer. Had she converted a break point in the next game the match might have assumed a different complexion, but a miss-hit gave Schiavone deuce, and after a marathon rally the Italian held her delivery with a superb backhand dropshot. ‘Brava!’ cried the crowd, and the Ukrainian resistance was all but over.
Schiavone was presented with her first match point when a Bondarenko backhand found the net, and she made the most of it with a forehand winner to the open court. She celebrated the 75 63 win by sinking to her knees and raising her fists to the air.
Errani takes edge in evenly-matched game
The second match saw two evenly-matched players face off, although Errani’s victory came remarkably easily. Indeed, on the only previous occasion the pair played, in Rome 12 months ago, Bondarenko prevailed 64 in the third and a match of similar proportions seemed to be on the cards today.
But the Italian broke Bondarenko in the first game and again for 5-2, and although a double fault when serving for the set gave Bondarenko a break back, she was unable to capitalise. After saving a set point with a backhand winner, she relinquished the opener on the next point when a forehand sailed long.
One set away from securing a famous victory for her team, Errani might have been forgiven a letdown, but she began the match with the psychological edge and had no intention of giving it up. Her own steady play was punctuated by a clutch of confident smashes, while Bondarenko produced an erratic cocktail of winners and errors. Errani raced to 3-0, and seized a further break for 5-1. Bondarenko, still swinging with gay abandon, set up a break point with her backhand, and broke the Italian when Errani sent a backhand wide.
Sacred victory for Errani
Out of nowhere a comeback seemed nigh, as the Ukrainian built a 40-0 lead in the next game, but the errors returned and a backhand wide gave Errani her first match point. That was all she needed, and just minutes after a Bondarenko forehand sailed long, Errani found herself being thrown into the air by her jubilant teammates. A lap of honour ensued, with Schiavone waving the Italian flag.
“I knew last night that I would play, I slept knowing it and I was excited,” Errani said. Tonight she’ll be dreaming of a more permanent singles berth in the future, no doubt.
Later, Errani was back on court with Karin Knapp, as scheduled, to play the dead doubles rubber. The Australian Open-winning Bondarenko sisters had been slated to play the match, but with the overall result beyond doubt, they were replaced by Mariya Koryttseva and Tatiana Perebiynis.
The Italians raced through the first set 60, and held a match point at 6-5 in the second. But Ukrainian pride was at stake and they were able to force, and win a tiebreak. They held firm in the decider to take the match 06 76 (4) 63.
But to the Italians it didn’t really matter: They were ready to celebrate.
Related Links on other websites
> Informazioni in Italiano - FIT
> Information in Ukrainian - UTF
Related Links on Fedcup.com
> Tie Information
> Scorecards and stats from this tie
> Bondarenko levels it for Ukraine
> Koryttseva to open against Schiavone
Related audio
 Interview with Francesca Schiavone (ITA) - day 2
Interview with Sara Errani (ITA) - day 2
Interview with Corrado Barazzutti (ITA) - day 2
Interview with Katerina Bondarenko (UKR) - day 2
Interview with Alona Bondarenko (UKR) - day 2
 
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