Francesca Schiavone will be first up for
the reigning champion Italians when the best-of-five Fed Cup quarterfinal tie
between Italy and host Ukraine commences Saturday.
Schiavone will meet Alona Bondarenko in the opening singles rubber, and that
bout will be followed by one between Flavia Pennetta and Ukrainian Kateryna
Bondarenko.
On Sunday in Kharkiv, reverse singes and a doubles rubber will be the order of
the day. Alona Bondarenko will take on Pennetta, while Kateryna Bondarenko
will battle Schiavone. The potentially-deciding doubles currently has an
Italian team of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci facing a Ukrainian tandem of
Mariya Koryttseva and Viktoriya Kutuzova on the indoor hardcourt at Lokomotiv.
Team Italy is captained by Corrado Barazzutti, while Ukraine is piloted by
Volodymyr Bogdanov.
Italy is 2-0 all-time against Ukraine in Fed Cup play. The Ukrainians are
playing in the World Group for the first time in their history.
The Italians captured their second title in four years by beating the United
States in last year's final. They also had a runner-up finish in 2007.
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