2009 Federation Cup Final Preview: Experience Versus Youth
In Reggio Calabria, Italy on Saturday, Flavia Pennetta and Francesco Schiavone will lead the Italians in the 2009 Federation Cup Final against an American squad featuring what many hope will be the next generation of top American players, i.e. Melanie Oudin, Alexa Glatch and Vania King. Much to the disappointment of many, Serena Williams and Venus Williams
both opted not to play in the tie. Given their various injuries in Doha lastweek, it’s not surprising that Serena and Venus chose to rest their worn-out bodies rather than compete on slow outdoor red clay courts in Italy after months on hard courts.
The Italians will be seeking their second Fed Cup title to complement their victory over Belgium three years ago. Italy and the U.S. have faced off ten times in Fed Cup play and the U.S. has won all nine previous ties, including six ties outdoors on clay. Flavia Pennetta, who is 11-4 in Fed Cup play, is having probably the best year of her career reaching the top ten for the first time. Francesco Schiavone, who is 19-13 in Fed Cup play and beat Russian, Svetlana Kuznetsova, in the Fed Cup semis, reached the final in Osaka this fall and then won the recent $1 million Kremlin Cup tournament in Moscow. The Italians also have Roberta Vinci, who has won all thirteen of her Fed Cup doubles matches. The fourth and youngest member of the Italian squad is twenty-two-year-old, Sara Errani, who is already 6-1 in Fed Cup play and has won two singles titles in her career.
United States Federation Cup Captain, Mary Jo Fernandez hopes to develop a committed squad of promising younger players as her counterpart on the men’s side, Davis Cup captain, Patrick McEnroe, was able to do early in his tenure. The Americans will be “led” by eighteen-year-old 2009 U.S. Open quarterfinalist, Melanie Oudin, who will be playing in her second tie for the American team. Oudin is 1-1 in Fed Cup singles play to date, but has only played three matches, winning one of them, since her U.S. Open success almost two months ago. Twenty-year-old California, Alexa Glatch, currently ranked, 132nd, will also be competing in her second Fed Cup tie. In her debut against the Czech Republic, Glatch won both her matches. Glatch also defeated Oudin this fall in Beijing. Twenty-year-old, Vania King is also on the U.S. roster. King, currently ranked 78th, is 4-5 in five previous Fed Cup ties and has won one singles title during her career, but also collected seven doubles titles. The final member of the U.S. squad is Number One ranked doubles player, Liezel Huber.
Let the matches begin! May the best team win…
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