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US, Russia level in Fed Cup semi

Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan returns a backhand to Jelena Kostanic Tosic of Croatia during their Fed Cup tennis match in Split, Croatia, on Saturday. PHOTO: AFP

Wimbledon champ Venus Williams survived some jitters and Francesca Schiavone posted an upset win as the US and Italy split their opening Fed Cup semi-final matches against Russia and France.

Williams posted a 7-6 (8/6), 0-6, 6-4 victory over Nadia Petrova on Saturday to deliver a needed point for the US against Russia.

The victory in the second singles match put the Americans level at 1-1 after the first day of the best-of-five-match tie.

Italy was also at 1-1 against France after Schiavone registered her second straight Fed Cup victory over Amelie Mauresmo.

All eyes were focused on Williams on the hard court at Topnotch, as she was expected to carry the US in the absence of her younger sister Serena, who is nursing an injury sustained at Wimbledon.

Her win proved even more important as 18-year-old Vania King dropped a 6-1, 6-3 decision to Anna Chakvetadze in the opening match.

Despite losing the first three games, Williams rallied to take the first set in a tiebreaker.

Petrova responded by blowing past Williams in the second to force a third set.

In the deciding set, Williams overcame a break of serve that left her down 3-4 by winning the last three games.

Mauresmo lost for the fourth time in eight meetings against the experienced Schiavone, going down in straight sets 7-5, 6-3 on a day when on-court temperatures shot up to 42oC.

Earlier in the day, Tatiana Golovin had given France a winning start to the tie beating Tathiana Garbin 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

Mauresmo was 5-3 ahead in the opening set but Schiavone then reeled off the next four games to take it 7-5. The Italian then dominated the second set much to the delight of the home fans.

The win was Schiavone's third in a row over the former world number one.

"I love playing for my country and it is the first time that I win in front of my home crowd," the Italian said.

Taiwan were all square with Croatia after the first day of their Fed Cup tie in Split on Saturday.

The day began badly as Taiwanese No.1 Chan Yung-jan was thrashed 6-0, 6-3 by Nika Ozegovic, a player ranked 69 places lower on the singles rankings.

However, their prospects looked a lot brighter after Hsieh Su-wei beat top Croatian player Jelena Kostanic Tosic 7-6, 6-4. The 21-year-old boosted her Fed Cup record to an impressive 10 wins and five defeats by downing the world No. 90.
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