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Photographer: Angelo Tonelli
Date: 26 Apr 2009

Photographer: Angelo Tonelli
Date: 26 Apr 2009

Photographer: Angelo Tonelli
Date: 26 Apr 2009

Photographer: Angelo Tonelli
Date: 26 Apr 2009

26 Apr 2009 - Nova Yardinia, Castellaneta Marina - Nick Lester - ITA v RUS

Sensational Schiavone seals Italy's place in final

Next year the Italian Tennis Federation will celebrate its 100th year anniversary. Rarely over the course of the century could they have seen the likes of Francesca Schiavone, who by winning the fourth rubber of this Fed by BNP Paribas semifinal, booked her team a place in November’s final.

Granted there have been Grand Slam winners, one of those Nicola Pietrangeli watched from the front row on Sunday as Schiavone dug perhaps as deep as she has ever done to beat Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 76 46 62. Nothing it seems comes easy to the 28-year-old Milanese whose endless hours of fitness work, much of it done in London up until the start of this year, must seem worthwhile on days like these.

Russian Change

Under the tide of the Russian team with Svetlana Kuznetsova putting on a world class display in Sunday's first rubber to defeat Flavia Pennetta 60 63, Schiavone must have been surprised to see that 17-year-old Pavlyuchenkova had been chosen to play in the afternoon’s second singles. Given his liking for the surprise option perhaps we should have expected as much from Russia’s coy leader Shamil Tarpischev.

Initially it seemed the right call. The Junior Roland Garros winner of 2007 starting well by breaking to lead 2-0 in the opening set. With the break later squandered the set had to be decided in the tiebreak. The Russian held two set points at 6-4 but a wayward backhand brought the players back level. After changing ends it was Schiavone who earned the next minibreak and gave her opponent no opportunity as she served out the set.

With Italy one set from the final captain Corrado Barazzutti was becoming ever more animated, across from him Tarpischev sat back and offered his words of wisdom to the youngster, they worked well. Pavlyuchenkova, who was making her Fed Cup debut, broke to lead 5-3. Serving for the second set she faltered, letting errors creap into her game. Her composure was required after three set points were saved by Schiavone who was dicing with death by using the drop shot more and more frequently but it was her undoing, she used one too many and ditched the final one in the net to give the Russian the second set.

One set shootout

The Italian reached in her bag for a new shirt, her coach Gabriele Urpi reached for a quiet cigar. The turning point in the match came early in the third. In the second game from 0-40 down Schiavone began a march to victory that took in the next nine points, the ninth was a double fault from Pavlyuchenkova that handed the Italian a break. She was beginning to wear the 17-year-old down.

At 5-2 and with a full house in full voice Schaivone showed no nerves, six sets played over the weekend, two rubbers for her team and a date in the diary in November. Something she summed up perfectly “its amazing to be back in the final, it’s a dream and I am very happy to be part of the dream”

After embracing his team Captain Barazzutti came to this conclusion, “its an amazing victory, I am happy for the girls, we won this match not with the forehand or the backhand but with the heart”. Be sure for those who were here to watch this, there are a few whose own hearts are ticking to a slightly stronger beat.

With the defending champions unseated, Italy join Belgium as only the second side in five years of Fed Cup to beat Russia. As a reward it will meet USA at home in Italy in an autumn final.

Related Links on other websites
> Informazioni in Italiano - FIT
> Information in Russian - RTF

Related Links on Fedcup.com
> Tie Information
> Scorecards and stats from this tie
> Interviews from this tie
> Italy rocks the Russians
> Zvonareva misses out

Related audio

Interview with Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) - day 2

Interview with Flavia Pennetta (ITA) - day 2

Interview with Francesca Schiavone (ITA) - day 2

Interview with captain Corrado Barazzutti (ITA) - day 2

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