2011 Fed Cup: Team Italy
Semi-finals for the 2011 Fed Cup are approaching and Team Italy is getting ready to take on the strong Russian side on 16th of April. The two times defending champion Italy are suffering from a number of setbacks already,
as their key players are not featuring in the semi-final ties, leaving the responsibility on the shoulders of a relatively lesser experienced team.
The Italian squad is led by world number 37 Roberta Vinci, who is currently enjoying her career best ratings. 43rd ranked Sara Errani is the other dependable Italian in the team, while world number 95 Alberta Brianti
and 123rd ranked Maria-Elena Camerin are the remaining squad members. Corrado Barazzutti is the captain of the Italians in the Fed Cup ties.
Team Italy had won the Fed Cup for consecutive two years, 2009 and 2010, but it was all because of the brilliance of the world number four Francesca Schiavone and the 20th ranked Flavia Pennetta. Schaivone and Pennetta
won most of their singles rubbers to bring the Fed Cup to their country in the last two editions but tragedy for Italy as both will not be playing this time round. Team Italy got a hammer blow when Pennetta injured her shoulder to sideline from the Fed Cup
ties, shortly after Schiavone renounced to play in the tournament. Less can be said about how the Italian squad will take down the star-studded Russian side with the absence of their two spearheads.
It all now comes down to Sara Errani to deliver her best and defend her country’s pride. Errani was the member of the Team Italy who won the last two Fed Cup titles and has a 100 per cent winning record in the tournament. She faced
the former World number one Amelie Mauresmo of France in the singles rubber in the first round clash in 2009 and defeated her in straight sets 6-3, 6-4. She then teamed up with Roberta Vinci to overwhelm Severine Bremond and Nathalie Dechy in straight sets
6-4, 6-4, to ensure an epic 5-0 victory for her side. The Italian duo did the same in the semi-final and then in the final, winning the doubles matches for their squad.
In 2010 Fed Cup first round matchup, Shciavone and Pennetta reeled off their individual rubbers, while the combination of Errani and Vinci outclassed the Ukranian opponents with ease in the doubles category. Errani got her chance
to compete in a singles matchup against Lucie Hradecka of Czech Republic in the semi-final and had a comprehensive victory over her opponent. This time Schiavone paired up with her to win the doubles match and conclude a 5-0 victory for Italy.
In the final of the 2010 Fed Cup, Schiavone and Pennetta again stole the show against the United States, while Errani didn’t get a chance to show her talents in a singles rubber. She and Vinci were to play the doubles matchup against
Liezel Huber and Melaine Oudin but a 3-1 championship victory for Team Italy prevented them to play the contest any further.
Errani has played a number of singles rubbers in the last two editions of the Fed Cup but Vinci has competed in the doubles rounds only. It will be interesting to see how the 43rd ranked Italian will handle the intense
pressure situations in singles matchups. Moreover, Brianti and Camerin are making their debut in the Fed Cup and less can be expected from the two less experienced Italians.
Surely Errani has to lead her side by an example and Vinci has to prove her abilities in the game if Team Italy desires any success against the strong Russian squad. Team Russia consists of the world number three Vera Zvonareva,
14thranked veteran Svetlana Kuznetsova, 21st ranked Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and the world number 39 Ekaterina Makarova.
Tags: