Italy blitzes U.S. in Fed Cup sweep

Last update: November 9, 2009 - 12:32 AM

Serena and Venus Williams were conspicuous by their absence Sunday when host Italy completed a shutout of the United States to win its second Fed Cup title in four years.

Yet the Americans who did play in Reggio Calabria had no regrets, and the Italians saw no need to put an asterisk next to their victory.

"I wanted to come here. I wanted to play for my country. Other people choose different things," U.S. Open quarterfinalist Melanie Oudin said after her 7-5, 6-2 loss to Flavia Pennetta gave Italy an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Oudin said she let her team and country down by losing twice. But after scoring an important point against the Czech Republic in the semifinals and having the experience of playing No. 1 singles, she also had something to be enthusiastic about for the future.

"This was a great experience for me," she said. "I'm going to look back on it and some day when I'm in a Fed Cup final again, hopefully I'll be able to pull out the win. It will go my way instead of theirs next time."

The 11th-ranked Pennetta and the 16th-ranked Francesca Schiavone also scored straight-set singles victories Saturday on the outdoor clay court at the Rocco Polimeni club.

The fourth singles match was canceled and Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci completed the 4-0 shutout by edging Liezel Huber and Vania King in doubles 4-6, 6-3, 11-9.

Top-ranked Serena and sister Venus had decided to bypass the Fed Cup final before meeting in the season-ending tour championships final last weekend. The Italians beat France in the opening round and ousted defending champion Russia in the semifinals.

Djokovic trips Federer

Top-ranked Roger Federer lost his hometown tournament, falling 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to Novak Djokovic in the Swiss Indoors final in Basel. Djokovic earned his fourth title of the season and ended Federer's run of three consecutive titles at the tournament.

"It's disappointing to lose at home in the finals, no doubt," Federer said. "I thought I missed plenty of opportunities. I'm not looking for excuses. He played tough and he played well when he had to, and saved a ton of break points."

Djokovic improved to 3-2 this year against Federer, and said the top-ranked Swiss star pushed him to his limits.

"I have to produce something special to win," Djokovic said at sold-out St. Jakobshalle.

• Andy Murray won his sixth title of the season in his first tournament back from a wrist injury, beating Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 6-3, 6-2 in the Valencia Open final in Spain. Murray had not played since the U.S. Open in September.

• James Blake beat French veteran Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the Paris Masters. The 36-year-old Santoro, who is playing his final season on the tour, exchanged jerseys with Blake after the match and did a farewell lap.

SPEEDSKATING

Two Americans win at World Cup

U.S. skater Tucker Fredericks upset the favored South Koreans to win the 500-meter race in Berlin, for his sixth career World Cup victory. Fredericks clocked 35.06 seconds, edging Lee Kang-seok and Lee Kyou-hyuk, who were both timed in 35.10.

Meanwhile, American Shani Davis set a course record in the 1,500 meters. Davis, the 1,000-meter Olympic champion, won in 1 minute, 44.47 seconds in the opening meet of the season. He was more than a second faster than Havard Bokko of Norway, who took second in 1:45.56. Denny Morrison of Canada was third.

Christine Nesbitt of Canada equaled the course record in winning the women's 1,500 in 1:55.54, and Jenny Wolf of Germany posted her 41st World Cup victory and broke the course record in winning the 500 in 37.52 seconds.

AROUND THE HORN

Soccer: The host Houston Dynamo advanced to Major League Soccer's Western Conference final for the third time in four years with a 1-0 overtime victory over the Seattle Sounders. Brian Ching scored the winner six minutes into overtime in the second game of their two-game series. The Dynamo will face the Los Angeles Galaxy, which beat Chivas USA 1-0 on Landon Donovan's penalty kick in the 73rd minute.

Baseball: The NL champion Philadelphia Phillies have declined their $5.5 million 2010 option on third baseman Pedro Feliz, who hit .266 with 12 home runs and 82 RBI in 158 games.

Athletics: Josephat Kipkurui won the Athens Classic Marathon, leading a Kenyan sweep in a race that traces the ancient course in Greece. Kipkurui crossed the finish line at the Panathenian stadium in 2 hours, 13 minutes, 44 seconds. Edwin Kipchom placed second in 2:14:18 and Mutuku Pius Muasa took third, 21 seconds later. Akemi Ozaki of Japan won the women's race in 2:39:56.

Hockey: Minor league defenseman Ben Fanelli, 16, was released from a Canadian hospital over the weekend and is continuing his recovery from skull and facial fractures. Fanelli, a Kitchener (Ontario) Rangers defenseman, was injured Oct. 30 when he was boarded during an Ontario Hockey League game.

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