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This weekend the Federation Cup final between Italy and Russia was played.
Italy reached the final defeating the USA 3-2 in the first round and the Czech Republic 3-1 in the semifinals.
Russia reached the final defeating Japan 3-2 in the first round and Slovakia 3-2 in the semifinals.
Roberta Vinci – Alexandra Panova
Alexandra Panova takes a bit to get into the game and Roberta Vinci breaks her in the second game. Despite her much greater experience, the Italian can’t keep her lead and loses her service game in the next game. In the sixth game Vinci breaks the Russian another time but again suffers immediately a counter-break. The Italian is unable to play her best and only her trademark slice backhand seems to be working. In the ninth game the Russian breaks her opponent: it’s the first of three consecutive breaks that bring Panova to serve for the first set winning it 7-5.
Between the first and the second set, Roberta Vinci has a medical time out. In recent days she suffered from a stiff neck: she seemed OK but at the start of the match her pain got back, explaining her drop in performance. At the beginning of the second set the Italian offers a break point but manages to win her service game. In the third game, however, Alexandra Panova breaks the Italian, who seems to really suffer because of her physical problems. Despite this, she breaks the Russian back but Panova break her twice in the fifth and seventh game. Panova serves for the match, has three match points but loses her service game. Suddenly the set changes completely: Vinci seems to feel much better, takes control of the game and wins five games in a row to win the second set 7-5.
In the third set Roberta Vinci takes the first lead breaking Alexandra Panova in the second game but loses it in the next game. The Russian needs a massage for a some muscle problems that shows how the match is getting really tough from the physical point of view, so much that in the next games both players will have to resort a few times to massages. The Russian breaks the Italian in the fifth game and that’s the first of three consecutive breaks. The set is now balanced and in the tenth game Panova serves again for the match, has another match point but again loses her service game. There’s no tie-break so the players go on and Vinci breaks the Russian in the fourteenth game to win the third set 8-6 and bring Italy on 1-0 in the final.
Sara Errani – Irina Khromacheva
Sara Errani starts well and breaks Irina Khromacheva in the second game. The Russian tries to react in the next game and has a total of four break points but the Italian manages to win her service game. Errani doesn’t want to suffer like her fellow player so she increases her pace, takes control of the game and breaks the Russian again in the fourth and seventh game to easily win the first set 6-1.
In the second set Sara Errani starts well again and has two break points in the first game but Irina Khromacheva manages to win her service game. In the second game the Italian has problems with her service, offers a total of five break points but she wins her service too. Khromacheva tries a reaction and in the fourth game manages break her opponent: it’s the first of four consecutive breaks. Errani increases her pace again and in the ninth game she breaks the Russian again, serves for the match and wins the second set 6-4 bringing Italy on 2-0 in the final.
Sara Errani – Alisa Kleybanova
After a balanced start, Alisa Kleybanova starts making some mistakes and, also because of two double faults, in the fourth game she loses her service game. In the fifth game Sara Errani offers two break points but wins her service game and in the next game she breaks the Russian again then closes the first set 6-1.
In the second set, Alisa Kleybanova still struggles and Sara Errani breaks her in the first game. The Russian is a hard-court player and is in trouble against a clay court specialist such as the Italian, who always tries to lock her in long rallies. Errani has two more break points in the third game but Kleybanova manages to win her service game. In the fifth game the Italian breaks the Russian again. She’s totally dominating and in the seventh game another break is crucial for Errani to win the second set 6-1 to conquer the match and the decisive point to win the Federation Cup for Italy.
Officially, the Federation Cup final isn’t over yet but at this point the victory for Italy has already arrived so the doubles match that has yet to be played doesn’t count.
Italy’s victory was taken for granted because Russia didn’t have her best players, also because some chose to play the Tournament of Champions. Luckily, the next year the Federation Cup final will be played one week after this tournament so there will be more players forced to choose which one to play. The young Russian couldn’t beat the more experienced Italians. Alisa Kleybanova is the protagonist of an extraordinary human story but didn’t seem ready to play on the clay courts in Cagliari. The future for Russia seems complicated.
Italy won a final that seemed greanted but in the first match had become more complicated than expected. Roberta Vinci won with her heart despite her physical problems and Sara Errani was very solid. The problem for Italy is that Pennetta and Vinci are in their 30s so you sooner or later the team will need another high level player to complement Sara Errani. For now, the teams can enjoy another great Federation Cup victory.
