Italy routs Williams-less US team to win Fed Cup
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11/08/2009 08:22 PM ET By ANDREW DAMPF (AP)
REGGIO CALABRIA, Italy -The Williams sisters were conspicuous by their absence on Sunday when Italy completed a shutout of the United States to win its second Fed Cup title in four years.
Yet the Americans who did play had no regrets and the victorious Italians felt there was no need to put an asterisk next to their victory.
"I wanted to come here. I wanted to play for my country. Other people choose different things," U.S. Open quarterfinalist Melanie Oudin said after her 7-5, 6-2 loss to Flavia Pennetta gave Italy an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
"Some people I guess didn't want to play as badly as I did. But I think that the team that we had here really wanted to be here," Oudin said. "You don't want people here that don't want to be here. Even if you lose, if you give it everything you have, then that's the best you can do."
The 11th-ranked Pennetta and the 16th-ranked Francesca Schiavone also scored straight-set singles victories Saturday on the outdoor clay court at the Rocco Polimeni club.
The fourth singles rubber was canceled and Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci completed the 4-0 shutout by edging Liezel Huber and Vania King in doubles 4-6, 6-3, and 11-9 in a champions tiebreaker.
Top-ranked Serena Williams and sister Venus had decided not play in the Fed Cup final before meeting in the season-ending tour championships final last weekend.
The Italians beat France in the opening round and ousted defending champion Russia in the semifinals, but still faced questions over the value of their victory without the Williams sisters.
"We're the world champions, it's simple," Pennetta said. "We've played against some great teams this year."
Pennetta and Vinci skipped an elite second-tier season-ending tournament in Bali this week, giving up potential rankings points and valuable prize money in the process.
"To represent your country it's something very different," Pennetta said. "We always play for ourselves. Here it's completely different."
Without the Williamses, Oudin was the highest-ranked American at No. 49. Alexa Glatch — No. 132 — played second singles.
"The main goal is to build the new generation," U.S. captain Mary Joe Fernandez said. "You've seen the new generation this year. There are many other young players coming along as well."
Still, the Americans don't want to close the door for the Williams sisters.
"Serena and Venus are just a different story," Fernandez added. "If they are willing and able to participate, I think that's a great experience for everybody involved in it to learn from."
Pennetta opened the series by beating Glatch and Schiavone made it 2-0 with a win over the 18-year-old Oudin.
Oudin said she let her team and country down by losing twice. But after scoring an important point against the Czech Republic in the semifinals and having the experience of playing No. 1 singles here, she also had something to be enthusiastic about for the future.
"I think this was a great experience for me," she said. "I'm going to look back on it and someday when I'm in a Fed Cup final again, hopefully I'll be able to pull out the win. It will go my way instead of theirs next time."
The U.S. has won a record 17 Fed Cups, but its last title came in 2000. Italy won its first Fed Cup title in 2006 over Belgium and Justine Henin, and lost the 2007 final to Russia.
The Italians celebrated this time by launching captain Corrado Barazzutti up and down into the air, then ran around the court dousing each other with bottles of champagne and water.
"These girls are incredible," Barazzutti said. "The first victory was extraordinary and this second one goes beyond expectations."
The young Americans see the Italians as a model to emulate.
"They are a real team, and I think that is what has really helped them this year," Oudin said. "They do it extremely well. I think that's a huge part of Fed Cup."
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I guess non of the people hating on the Williams sisters for not playing in the Fed Cup noticed both played injured in the finals of the Doha tournament. Any of you ever stay home from work when you're sick or injured ? Both sisters have a right to let their injuries heal.
I guess non of the people hating on the Williams sisters for not playing in the Fed Cup noticed both played injured in the finals of the Doha tournament. Any of you ever stay home from work when you're sick or injured ? Both sisters have a right to let their injuries heal.
I guess non of the people hating on the Williams sisters for not playing in the Fed Cup noticed both played injured in the finals of the Doha tournament. Any of you ever stay home from work when you're sick or injured ? Both sisters have a right to let their injuries heal.
The majors are not played by countries as happens in the Fed Cup but by individual players. Where they were born or migrated to has no bearing on who a real fan would root for. This week will be the toughest week tennis has ever faced. Agassi admits doing drugs and hating the game. Serena punished or has her wrist slapped for attacking a lines person. Hingis was thrown out of tennis for much less. Neither Williams sister willing to play for their country in any of the year long Fed Cup matches. Wickmayer severly punished and banned for a year in her prime for doing a minor administrative iinfraction. Tennis needs someone strong to take charge of the game and deal with these fiascos
Your full of you know what
This is why comments like this is so pathetic,the american player was # 49 on the players list,excluding the Williams sisters ,where were the other 47 american players ?? Americans don't stand behind the William sisters when the play international players , but when they don't play and america loses then its their fault, HOW PATHETIC this mentality
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I bet you were one of the loyal Americans who cheered for the other country in 1999 just as people like you applaud the other countries against The Williams Sisters at the major finals. Kind of reminds me of when Black soldiers fought in the wars to protect America only to return home to be lynched, murdered, robbed, burned at the stake, castrated and every other savage barbaric treatment imagginable by the very people we gave our lives fighting Americas enemies. Should not The od of justice punish such a wicked people? I praise Him for at this very moment He is doing just that!!!
I bet you were one of the loyal Americans who cheered for the other country in 1999 just as people like you applaud the other countries against The Williams Sisters at the major finals. Kind of reminds me of when Black soldiers fought in the wars to protect America only to return home to be lynched, murdered, robbed, burned at the stake, castrated and every other savage barbaric treatment imagginable by the very people we gave our lives fighting Americas enemies. Should not The od of justice punish such a wicked people? I praise Him for at this very moment He is doing just that!!!
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All the poster's who chide the non-williams fans for not being proud of them as Americans need ask this question, how many times have the williams played in the Fed Cup sine they played in 1999?
Once again, the Williams sisters fail the USA and tennis. What poor representatives of the sport they are, especially the so-called best player in tennis - Serena.