Yeah. Once Flavia got her game on, Glatch just couldn't keep up with her.

But this long delay has everything up in the air. I hope play can resume soon.

 

- PLAY IS CURRENTLY SUSPENDED DUE TO RAIN -

Schiavone* 2-4 Oudin
More like it from Schiavone, a few big serves and groundstrokes and she holds to love. The rain is teaming down now though - play is suspended again. This time the covers are on. Brace yourselves for a bit of a wait...

Schiavone 1-4 Oudin*
Since the first game, in which the Italian could have broken, Oudin has looked the more comfortable - calm and assured. She holds to go 4-1 up. Unbelievable first point in that game though: Schiavone hit a through-the-legs shot to retrieve a lob and went on to win the point with a backhand pass... the crowd went wild!

Schiavone* 1-3 Oudin
Interesting... Oudin breaks with a double fault. Very unlike Schiavone who is normally so dependable. Maybe the mini rain break affected her.

Schiavone 1-2 Oudin*
Ok, we're back. Oudin holds comfortably to edge ahead. She's not scared to come to the net and mix up play with the odd drop shot.

Schiavone 1-1 Oudin*
The rain is coming down... play suspended. The players are still on court though. If it's a quick shower then we'll resume straight away. I'm sat outdoors and am getting wet...

Schiavone* 1-1 Oudin
Comfortable hold for the Italian. She is a crafty player and just loves the atmosphere of Fed Cup. The crowd are starting to get involved.

Schiavone 0-1 Oudin*
And we're off... Oudin serving! Nervy start from the American, she falls over in the first point and has to seek help from Mary-Joe in the way of a toweling down. The teenager recovers though to hold after a few deuces - beautiful backhand drop shot winner on the final point.

12:50
The players are on court warming up. Needless to say, Schiavone has been given the warmer welcome. Talking about warm welcomes, I wouldn't have minded one myself... it's cold and windy here and rain clouds are brewing!

looks like the rain is easing up, cuz they're squeegeeing the  water on the tarps off. who do you wanna win paul? Im actually rooting for italy

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CONGRATS!! SAME IN INDIAN WELLS PLEASE!!

I've been sure all along that Italy would win. I just want the American girls to come away feeling good about themselves. At Fed Cup, that is possible. I don't care what the talking heads say--to me, MOST of the time, ITF events are a breath of fesh air.

Schiavone 76(2) 62; Italy 2-0. I'm good with that. Mel did a pretty good job, considering the conditions & all. She thought she had a bad call when Francesca leveled in the 8th game, but Schiavone had gotten down to business after the rain delay and the momentum had already turned. Oudin is a little perfectionist & maybe a bit too hard on herself. I mean, hey: you're only playing one of the shrewdest veterans on the court--the clay court, to boot. Mel less than Glatch, but it's visible how both girls' movements are inhibited by fear of their footing. Only way we're ever gonna deal with that is for all American academies to get more clay courts & make the kids play on them a certain percentage of their training.

Tomorrow, they should just go for it--they got nothing to lose now. I'd congratulate the Italians already except that, in this game, we know anything can happen.

Sunday: 1100 hrs (1000 hrs GMT) [05:00 EST]
R3 - F.PENNETTA (ITA) v. M.OUDIN (USA)
R4 - F.SCHIAVONE (ITA) v. A.GLATCH (USA)
R5 - S.ERRANI / R.VINCI (ITA) v. L.HUBER / V.KING (USA)

I think tomorrow at eleven o'clock in the morning Flavia will close the finals.

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Фëдор Достоевский: “Mиp cпасëт красота”
Fëdor Dostoevskij:" La beauté sauvera le monde"

le maitre couturier:

I think tomorrow at eleven o'clock in the morning Flavia will close the finals.

Agreed. See, you gotta respect this: Pennetta had qualified for the WTA Tour’s second level year-end championship in Bali but withdrew from the event because she said it was more important for her to play the Fed Cup Final.

Way good choice.

Flavia has won the first set against Oudin 7-5. Now they've started the second one & the score is 2-1 for the Italian player.

GOOOOO FLAVIAAAAAAA !!!!!!!!

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Фëдор Достоевский: “Mиp cпасëт красота”
Fëdor Dostoevskij:" La beauté sauvera le monde"

ITALY'S WINNER !!! PENNETTA-OUDIN 7-5 6-2 !!! ITALY- U.S.A. 3-0 !!!

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Фëдор Достоевский: “Mиp cпасëт красота”
Fëdor Dostoevskij:" La beauté sauvera le monde"

Congrats to Italia & especially to Flavia, who has done great things this year.

I think they're going to go ahead & play the doubles, anyway--RIA's ticker says siamo in attesa, awaiting more...

Yes, doubles dead rubber now...

...which Italy also took (11-9 breaker).

Oudin had a good match with Flavia. Mel displays flashes of intelligence that were not so evident before. (You gotta watch out for us in the American South--for some reason we think it's cute to look stupid... ) And she still doesn't ever go away, but I'd tell her this: The lessons to take from Italy are all in her first sets, and only one lesson in the second sets of both matches: Quit beating herself up! Both times, she didn't let go of stuff & it ganged up on her in the second sets when she didn't need it. Her people need to protect her from irrational expectations.

4-0, Italy has dominated the game they have deserved the Fed Cup. Complimenti a Flavia e a tutta la squadra !!!

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Фëдор Достоевский: “Mиp cпасëт красота”
Fëdor Dostoevskij:" La beauté sauvera le monde"

Long-time Russian Davis cup and Fed cup captain Shamil Tarpishchev has offered his thoughts on the 2009 season, as well as who he thinks will be the last man standing at the ATP finals in London.

“The results decreased in comparison with last year, mainly because of the financial crisis. We could have won, as well as the Davis Cup and Fed Cup. The girl’s chances were preferable. Most of the problems were created by the calendar – the Davis Cup and Fed Cup matches were held straight after Grand Slams and it was hard to get the players into the desired shape. Also, they do not want to tear down a personal schedule for athletes, because they are struggling for rating points,” Shamil Tarpishchev said.

He added that the retirement of former World No. 1 Marat Safin is going to be a big problem for the men’s team.

“We will need three or four years to grow new players and have two equal squads in the Davis cup squad,” he added.

Tarpishchev also revealed the new job Safin is most likely to occupy after leaving the sport.

“We have decided to nominate Safin’s candidacy for vice-president of the Olympic Committee of Russia. In terms of international relations, negotiation skills, knowledge of sports from the inside, he will give odds to many,” he said.

The Davis Cup captain informed that the tennis star is already busy as a sporting functionary.

“He is now working to improve the status of international tournaments held in Russia,” Tarhishchev said.

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The former U.S. figure-skating champion; Kwan reminded the children that hard work and persistence are a large part of the success of athletes like herself or Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin or former Wimbeldon champion Maria Sharapova — both Russian natives.
"Keep on working hard, and your dreams — such a great thing — will come true," Kwan said "A lot of my dreams came true."

Yuri Yudkin, 73, was Maria's first coach when she was 4-7. He said. "[Maria] was a very smart girl . . . I never had to repeat instructions twice to her."

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