BIELLA, Italy, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Lesia Tsurenko dropped just three games Saturday in helping Ukraine to a 1-1 tie with Italy in a best-of-five Fed Cup quarterfinal series.
Tsurenko, No. 121 in the world, routed world No. 11 Francesca Schiavone 6-1, 6-2 without losing her serve. That decision came on the heels of Sara Errani's 6-2, 6-3 win over Kateryna Bondarenko that had given Italy the first point of the day.
Tsurenko capitalized on 42 unforced errors by Schiavone and she won nearly 60 percent of the points in the match.
Errani didn't face a break point and won 69 percent of the points on serve in claiming the opening win.
Errani and Tsurenko are to meet in Sunday's second singles match after Bondarenko and Schiavone play.
Errani, along with Roberta Vinci, is also scheduled to be on the Italian doubles team in the series' final match. Ukraine is to field the team of Yuliya Beygelzimer and Olga Savchuk.
The winner of the Ukraine-Italy series moves into the Fed Cup semifinal round against either the defending champion Czech Republic or Germany. The Czechs took a 2-0 lead in that series Saturday.
