Pennetta beats Oudin as Italy lift Fed Cup

REGGIO CALABRIA (Italy) (AFP) – Italy claimed their second Fed Cup title in three years as Flavia Pennetta cruised to a 7-5, 6-2 win against American teenager Melanie Oudin on the red clay here on Sunday.
The victory in just over an hour and a half gave Italy an unassailable 3-0 lead in what proved to be a damp squib of a contest following the withdrawals of Serena and Venus Williams from the American team.
Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone had both recorded simple straight-set victories against Alexa Glatch and Oudin respectively on Saturday as the visitors paid for coming to the final with their hopes resting on the shoulders of an 18-year-old and a 20-year-old ranked 132 in the world.
It was the first time Italy had beaten the USA — who have a record 17 Fed Cup titles — in 10 ties and the first time they won the title on home soil.
Italy’s only previous Fed Cup success came in Belgium three years ago while they lost the final in Russia in 2007.
Team captain Corrado Barazzutti pulled no punches in his reaction.
“These girls have re-written the history of Italian tennis,” he enthused. “I believe they are one of the best ever teams in Italian sport.
“The first win (in 2006) was incredible but the second, at home, in front of our fans, is beyond all limits. These girls are amazing.”
For Pennetta this was the ideal culmination to her best ever season in which she became the first Italian women to reach the world’s top 10 — she’s currently ranked 11.
“It’s the perfect end to a great season. Now I can go on holiday even more happy. I would have been happy anyway but now it’s perfect,” she said.
The first set was competitive although Pennetta broke a nervous Oudin in the first game of the match.
Not known for her serve, the Italian then used that weapon to keep her nose in front, serving two aces in the sixth game and then saving the first break point she faced in the eighth with another ace. “In the beginning we were both a bit nervous, it wasn’t easy to play first on the Sunday,” added Pennetta.