TENNIS FED CUP – France fought back from 0-2 to produce a remarkable comeback 3-2 win against Italy on Indoor clay at the 105 Stadium in Genoa setting up a Fed Cup semifinal against defending champions from Czech Republic. Diego Sampaolo
French campaign Amelie Mauresmo chose to field World Number 74Kristina Mladenovic against 2012 Roland Garros finalist and clay specialist Sara Errani for the first Sunday reverse rubber match and the gamble paid off. Mladenovic upset Errani in straight sets with 6-4 6-3 despite a difference of 61 positions between the two players in the WTA Ranking. However Rankings do not matter too much in Fed Cup and Davis Cup matches.
Mladenovic dropped her serve to love in the opening game of the first set but she was in control of the match since then. Only in the eighth game Errani broke serve at 3-5 but Mladenovic hit a forehand winner in the next game to clinch the first set with 6-4. Mladenovic cruised to 5-1 in the second set. Errani won two consecutive games to claw her way into the match. Mladenovic hit her forehand into the net on her match-point but she sealed the win on the second match point with a winner.
In the second match Caroline Garcia, who was beaten by Errani in a hard-fought match on Saturday, rallied from a set down to edge Camila Giorgi in three sets with 4-6 6-0 6-2.
The first-round match between the two neighboring European countries came down to the decisive double match where Mladenovic and Garcia swept aside five-time Grand Slam doubles champions Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci with 6-1 6-2.France could celebrate a remarkable win in their first Fed Cup match since 2011. It was an impressive win for the French doubles team as Errani and Vinci had won all their six doubles Fed Cup matches and Vinci was unbeaten in all her 18 doubles match in this tournament. On the contrary Mladenovic and Garcia had previously played in a dead rubber against Kazakhstan.
It has been just the seventh time since 1995 that a team managed to rally from 0-2 down. Much credit goes to French captain Mauresmo who guided France to a sensational win after Italy was looking to seal a easy win after leading 2-0 in the first day.
“I am so proud of the girls. They put amazing stuff out there on the court. In the speech this morning we have to take it step by step. It worked out step by step. This is historic for France”, said Mauresmo
“I was either going to be a genius or a nonsense captain. I took the decision to play Kristina Mladenovic because I knew that she had the game to beat Sara. We knew the tactics and she was able to deliver on the court, which is always the toughest thing to do”, said Mauresmo.
Mauresmo’s joy was a contrast to the disappointment of Italian Fed Cup captain Corrado Barazzutti. “The doubles was a strange match. Errani and Vinci are the world number 1 and we expected a little more. The pressure was big and they maybe felt it more. The French players were very aggressive and they had nothing to lose”.
