Italy on verge of clinching Fed Cup title

REGGIO CALABRIA, Italy, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Straight-set victories Saturday by Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone over American opponents put Italy on the verge of a Fed Cup title.

The wins put Italy up 2-0 in the best-of-five Fed Cup title series in Italy. If either Pennetta or Schiavone win their singles matches Sunday or the Italian team takes the double match, Italy will win its second Fed Cup championship.

Pennetta opened the series with a 6-3, 6-1 rout of Alexa Glatch. Pennetta had a pair of service breaks to take the first match. Glatch, however, broke back to open the second set only to have Pennetta take the next six games and the match.

Schiavone then posted a 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 win over Melanie Oudin. Oudin was up 4-2 in the first set when rain caught a two-hour stoppage in play. Schiavone came out of the delay with a service break to get back in the first set and a five-game win streak by Schiavone was worth control of the second.

Sunday's reverse singles have Pennetta going against Oudin while Schiavone is to play Glatch. The doubles match is scheduled to be Italians Sara Errani and Robert Vinci against Americans Vania King and Liezel Huber.