2006 Fed Cup Diary - Finals
MAMA, PUT ON THE PASTA AND VINO -- UNLIKELY ITALY JOINS FED CUP VICTORS

So, who would have picked Italy? Probably not even Cassandra or the Oracle of Delphi.

Nevertheless, Italy, perhaps the longest of long-shots, became the 11th member of the exclusive Fed Cup champions society by invading Belgium to defeat the highly favored home side by the margin of - shall we say? - a knee. Justine Henin-Hardenne's ailing right knee.

The actual score was 3-2 in a suspenseful final, uncertain until the third set of the decisive fifth match. It was there that the 2006 ITF (International Tennis Federation) world champion, No. 2 Henin-Hardenne, felt that she could play no longer. Leading Henin-Hardenne and Kirsten Flipkins, 3-6, 6-2, 2-0, Francesca Schiavone and Roberta Vinci were awarded the match. Thus Italy, captained by Corrado Barazzutti, took the Cup, sponsored by BNP Paribas. Thirty years before, Barazzutti had been a strong playing factor as Italy seized the other world team championship, the Davis Cup.

At the start of the 44th Fed Cup campaign, at least four other countries seemed to have the Cup-winning potential: 2004-05 Cup-holder Russia, 2004-05 finalist France, 17-time champion United States, and, of course, 2001 champ Belgium.

Italy didn't figure. However, getting big wins from the ringleaders, No. 11 Schiavone and No. 20 Flavia Pennetta, the Italians won all three series -- moreover in enemy camps: 4-1 over France; 3-1 over Spain; 3-2 over Belgium.

U.S. Capt. Zina Garrison knew her team's chances were greatly diminished because the three leading Americans, the Sisters Williams (Serena and Venus), and Lindsay Davenport, were unavailable. Yet a smashing road performance by 19-year-old rookie Jamea Jackson led the U.S. to an unexpected first round 3-2 victory over Germany.

Confronted with outdoor clay at Tennis Centre Ettenheim, and higher-ranked foes, No.75 Jackson and No. 39 Jill Craybas, riding firmer nerves, shocked the German crowd and players by grabbing topsy-turvy decisions and a 2-0 first day edge.

Although No. 14 Anna-Lena Groenefeld served for victory at 5-4 in the third set of the opener, Jackson surged through the last 3 games to win, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. Craybas competed grimly in the wild third set -- 10 straight service breaks -- dodged a match point and overcame No. 52 Julia Schruff, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Groenefeld returned in better form the second day to down Craybas, 6-2, 7-5. But up stepped Jackson in the clutch, unwilling to leave it up to the fifth match doubles. Confidently Jamea, the Cup debutante, went through a sub, No. 104 Martina Muller, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, for an unassailable 3-1 lead.

The first round held more astonishing results: Belgium over reigning Russia, 3-2, and Italy over France, 4-1.

With the 2001 victors Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters back together again, and at home, Liege, Belgium sidelined ruling Russia, 3-2 despite a shaky beginning. No. 9 Elena Dementieva, coming in 2-8 against No. 2 Clijsters, walked off with a 6-4, 6-3, win. But slow-starting No. 4 Henin-Hardenne squared it, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-3, over No. 5 Nadia Petrova. Warmed up, Clijsters took down No. 39 Maria Kirilenko, a replacement for Petrova, 6-1, 6-4. That left it to Justine to boot the Russians from the throne, 6-2, 6-0, over Dementieva.

Francesca Schiavone stunned onlookers at Nancy. She beat not only No. 21 Natalie Dechy, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-3 to deadlock the French, 1-1, but overturned then No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo, despite a match point for Amelie, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, to take the lead. Whereupon Pennetta, trampled by Mauresmo, 6-1, 6-1, on the first day, rebounded for the 6-4, 6-2, clincher over Dechy.

Pennetta was the decider once more in one semifinal at Zaragoza, beating No. 47 Lourdes Deminguez-Lino, 6-2, 6-4, to put the series out of Spain's reach. Bounding ahead immediately Pennetta beat No. 24 Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-3, 6-0, and Schiavone beat Dominguez-Lino, 6-4, 7-5. Medina Garrigues momentarily slowed Italy in a 6-2, 6-2, win over Schiavone.

The scrappy but outgunned Americans were eliminated by Belgium, 4-1, at Ostend, even though Henin-Hardenne didn't play. Craybas and Jackson pushed their first day opponents to 3 sets, Jill losing to Clijsters, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, and Jamea to No. 122 Flipkins, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Rookie 17-year-old, Vania King had no chance against Clijsters, 6-0, 6-1.

But an injured Clijsters missed the final, and her replacement, Flipkins, was beaten by Schiavone, 6-1, 6-3. Henin-Hardenne made it 1-1 over Pennetta, 6-4, 7-5, then 2-1 over Schiavone, 6-4, 7-5. Six-footer Mara Santangeo, No. 33, standing in for Pennetta, outlasted Flipkins, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-0, and it was even again -- everything up to the doubles. Henin-Hardenne, who had jarred her right knee while defeating Schiavone, got through a winning first set all right, but said she felt "something wrong" in the second game of the third set. It was over with Italians Schiavone and Vinci ahead, 2-0, anointed as the unlikely but deserving world champs.

Trite yet true was Capt. Barazzutti's comment: "In tennis anything can happen."

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