Defending champion Italy seized a commanding 2-0 lead over the US in the final of the Fed Cup with a pair of straight-set wins by Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone on Saturday.
Reigning French Open champion Schiavone got Italy off on the right foot with a dominating 6-2, 6-4 victory over young American Coco Vandeweghe in the opener while world No. 23 Pennetta defeated Bethanie -Mattek-Sands 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in two hours.
Italy can clinch their second title in as many years in the best-of-five format with a win in the opening match scheduled for yesterday.
Photo: AFP
“We are very happy for today [Saturday], very satisfied,” Pennetta said. “But now we have to stay focused for tomorrow. We really want to try to bring back the Cup, but it is not finished.”
World No. 7 Schiavone needed 1 hour, 23 minutes to close out the match over the 18-year-old Vandeweghe at the San Diego Sports Arena.
“It was a good match for me. I started really well, particularly the first set,” she said. “Then I went a little bit down 4-3, but the way that I was playing was good. I was aggressive, good defense, a good serve.”
Vandeweghe, who is ranked 114th in the world, is making her Fed Cup debut in her hometown. She got on the US team after the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, pulled out with injuries.
“I have never played against Francesca,” Vandeweghe said. “She is not ranked in the top 10 in the world for nothing. She has a great array of shots. I am a little disappointed to have lost.”
Vandeweghe tied the second set at 4-4 by breaking Schiavone’s serve. But the rally was short-lived as the Italian struck back quickly.
Schiavone broke Vandeweghe’s serve, then won the match when Vandeweghe punched a backhand service return into the net.
In a surprise move, US captain Mary Joe Fernandez chose Vandeweghe for the opening match over the more experienced Melanie Oudin.
With the Williams sisters skipping the event, the US was forced to send an inexperienced four-woman team to the World Group final which runs on the indoor hard courts. The Williams sisters also missed last year’s event.
The Americans, who have won more Fed Cup titles than anyone else with 17, lead the series with Italy 9-1 overall, but lost the last meeting in last year’s final.
The US now has the almost impossible task of trying to make a come back in yesterday’s matches.
When reminded during the news conference that no team has ever come back from being down 2-0 in a final, Fernadez asked reporters, “Do you guys have any advice?”
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to