Svetlana Kuznetsova Wins Big To Give Russia Their Third Fed Cup title

Svetlana Kuznetsova led the Russians to victory playing against Italy in the Fed Cup final in Moscow.

Russian HEAD player Svetlana Kuznetsova, rallied to beat Francesca Schiavone of Italy, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5. Kuznetsova, who plays with the MicroGel Extreme, beat her Italian rival in the first reverse singles, putting Russia up 3-0 in the best of-five-finals at the hadcourt Luzhniki Arena. The win on Sunday allowed Russia to secure its third Fed Cup title.

Anna Chakvetadze and Kuznetsova won the opening singles on Saturday, against Francesca Schiavone and Mara Santangelo, to lift Russia to a comfortable 2-0 lead after the first day of play.

Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open champion and runner-up this season, saved two match points in the tiebreaker before serving a powerful winner to prevail 9-7 and stay in the match. In the decisive third set, Schiavone, ranked 25th, jumped to a 4-1 lead with a break in the fourth game, but lost the advantage in the seventh when she double-faulted on her serve and then returned an easy forehand wide.

“I really wanted to bring the victory and this time it worked,'' said Kuznetsova, who has recently returned to play for Russia.