This will be the second consecutive Fed Cup Final between the U.S. and Italy. Both nations posted home victories in the semifinals in April. The U.S. defeated Russia, 3-2, after winning the decisive doubles match, while Italy posted a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic.
“Melanie, Liezel and Bethanie have repeatedly answered the call to play for their country and have together led the U.S. to its second consecutive Fed Cup Final,” said Fernandez, who became the first U.S. captain since 1986-87 to lead the U.S. to consecutive Fed Cup Final appearances in the first two years of captaincy. “We also are bringing on up-and-comer Coco, who is playing the best tennis of her young career, including a win this summer over (current world No. 2) Vera Zvonareva. The team is extremely motivated to try and win the Fed Cup for the U.S. for the first time in 10 years.”
The Italians, who are expected to be led by 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, are in the Fed Cup Final for the fourth time in five years. The U.S. leads the overall series 9-1, but Italy defeated the U.S., 4-0 in the 2009 Fed Cup Final in Reggio Calabria, Italy. The U.S. is 35-3 all-time in Fed Cup ties played in the U.S., and is 6-1 in Fed Cup Finals played at home.
The San Diego Sports Arena will be hosting Fed Cup for the first time. The venue also was the site for the 1989 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinal between the United States and France, and will become the eighth U.S. venue to host both a Davis Cup and Fed Cup tie.
The best-of-five match series begins on Saturday, November 6, with two singles matches featuring each country’s No. 1 singles player facing the No. 2 singles player from the other nation. The event concludes the next day with “reverse singles,” as the No. 1 player from each country face off, followed by the No. 2 singles players meeting. The second day of competition concludes with a doubles match.
Tennis Channel will present daily live coverage beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday.
Once again the US is let sown by the Williams sisters. Hope they won’t get to represent the US in London in 2012. They won’t? Yeah right!!