This week-end in San Diego the Federation Cup 2010 final has been played between Italy and the U.S.A.
Francesca Schiavone – Coco Vandeweghe
The young American tries her best but Schiavone is too good technically and she’s expert. The first set is an easy 6-2 for the Italian, who breaks her opponent on her first attempt and never looks back.
The second set could seem more complicated when Schiavone’s serve is broken in the eighth game giving her opponent a hope but the Italian recovers quickly and closes the set 6-4 to win the match.
Flavia Pennetta – Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Pennetta looks capable of handling her opponent even more easily than Schiavone but when she’s leading 5-1 she seems to run out of energy so her shots lose power and depth. The American honestly isn’t an extraordinary player but at a lower rythm she plays much better and comes back in a set that seemed lost.
So there’s the tie-break where you can see the difference between the two players: Pennetta does nothing remarkable but neither something detrimental while Mattek-Sands misses some shots that looked easy leaving the set to the Italian with a 7-4 tie-break.
In the second set the American seems stunned for the lost occasion: Pennetta seemed the tired player but after some games it’s Mattek-Sands who suffers from cramps: she doesn’t retire but she’s not really playing anymore and the Italian wins the set 6-2 winning a match that’s honestly ugly.
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Francesca Schiavone – Melanie Oudin
On Saturday Bethanie Mattek-Sands showed some physical problems so captain Mary Joe Fernandez decided to replace her with Melanie Oudin, an agonist who offers a solid performance while Schiavone is strangely imprecise and often has a bad timing on the ball when she comes to the net, something really rare for one of the players with the best volee.
The Italian succeds in keeping in contact in a first set that sees five straight breaks, the last one lethal to Schiavone who loses it 6-3.
In the second set Oudin has gained confidence while Schiavone tries to find the measure of her shots but makes even more mistakes for a neat 6-1 in favour of the American who gives the U.S.A. some hope.
Flavia Pennetta – Coco Vandeweghe
The young American starts well breaking the Italian’s serve but her hopes don’t last as Pennetta quickly finds her confidence with the shots and leaves her opponent no more games in the set winning it with a neat 6-1.
In the second set Vandeweghe tries all possible counter-measures to Pennetta’s shots but the Italian is too consistent and particularly her backhand passing shot is a lethal weapon. Eventually the second set is easily won by Pennetta 6-2 to conquer the decisive rubber to win the Cup.
With the final already decided the double match hasn’t been played.
Obviously someone will point out that the Williams sisters didn’t play but if they’re not interested in the Federation Cup or they’re injured it’s their problem.
Italy won its second straight Federation Cup, the third in five years. The group that won these cups includes Francesca Schiavone, who won the last Roland Garros and played the last single WTA Championships, Flavia Pennetta, who this year has been even in the Top 10 and won the double WTA Championships, Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci, who are among Top 100. These players formed a real group and played together all the Federation Cup rounds through the years led by captain Corrado Barazzutti deserving the trophies they won.
