Italy ousts Russia in Fed Cup semis

CASTELLANETA MARINA , Italy, April 26 (UPI) -- Italy's Francesca Schiavone battled to a three-set win that gave Italy the clinching point Sunday in a Fed Cup semifinal victory over defending champion Russia.

The Italians, who went on to win the best-of-five matches 4-1, will play for the championship in November against the United States, which ousted the Czech team 3-2 at Brno in the Czech Republic.

Schiavone defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-6 (9-7), 4-6, 6-2 to give her team an insurmountable 3-1 lead. Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci later won a doubles match to set the final score at 4-1.

Russia, which had won the Fed Cup the past two years, was trying for its fifth championship. Italy won the cup once, in 2006.