In the space of a single day, the United States Fed Cup team has gone from a strong shot to a long shot to capture its first Fed Cup championship since 2000.
U.S. Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez was counting on Serena Williams to play two singles matches and potentially partner Liezel Huber in a dream pairing of the world's top-ranked singles and doubles players, but today the 11-time Grand Slam champion dashed those hopes in abruptly withdrawing from next weekend's Fed Cup final against host Italy set for the red clay of Reggio Calabria.
The USTA did not cite a reason for Williams' withdrawal in a three-sentence statement issued to the media that announced Vania King has replaced Williams on the squad.
"Serena Williams has withdrawn from the U.S. vs. Italy Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Final set to take place November 7-8 in Reggio Calabria, Italy," the USTA announced in a statement. "Williams will be replaced by Vania King. King will be making her sixth appearance on the U.S. Fed Cup team."
Williams pulled the plug just four days after Fernandez announced she was set to lead an American team that includes U.S. Open quarterfinalist Melanie Oudin and Alex Glatch.
American hopes of ending their longest Fed Cup title drought and capturing a record-extending 18th Fed Cup championship seemed to spike considerably with the presence of Williams. Now, U.S. hopes ride on the kids — Oudin, Glatch and King — none of whom carry the credentials of former French Open champion Williams.
The best-of-five match series begins on Saturday, November 7 with two singles matches and is followed by two reverse singles matches and the doubles match on Sunday, November 8. Tennis Channel will present daily live coverage beginning at 5:00 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday and Sunday.
A formidable Italian squad features Flavia Pennetta and Moscow champion Francesca Schiavone, who scored two singles wins in Italy's 4-1 conquest of Russia in the semifinals. Schiavone owns a 12-4 record in Fed Cup singles matches contested on clay.
The United States is 9-0 against Italy, which upset host Belgium to capture the 2006 Fed Cup championship. The Italians are contesting their third final in the past four years. The USA is playing in its 27th Fed Cup final and seeking its record-extending 18th Fed Cup championship.
Huber, 33, became a U.S. citizen on July 25, 2007, with the hopes of playing for the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games. Huber, a four-time Grand Slam doubles champion who won the 2008 US Open, finished the 2007 season tied for No. 1 in the world doubles rankings and has not surrendered the top spot since. Born in South Africa, Huber spent four years on the South African Fed Cup team and posted a 9-3 overall record (9-2 doubles) in 12 ties — all on red clay. She has won all three of her matches for the U.S. in Fed Cup play, including tie-clinching matches with partner Julie Ditty against Argentina in this year’s quarterfinal and with Bethanie Mattek-Sands against the Czech Republic to send the U.S. to the 2009 Fed Cup final.
Oudin, 18, will be making her third straight appearance for the U.S. Fed Cup team after earning a key singles victory against Argentina with the U.S. facing a 2-1 deficit in February’s quarterfinal. Oudin has shot up the rankings in 2009 after a breakthrough year and is currently ranked No. 47 in the world. She defeated former World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic en route to a fourth round appearance at Wimbleon, and recently made headlines when she upset 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Elena Dementieva and former World No. 1 Maria Sharapova in three set matches to become the youngest American quarterfinalist at the US Open since 1999. Oudin also won back-to-back USTA Pro Circuit titles at $50,000 events in Indian Harbour Beach, Fla., and Raleigh, N.C., in May.
Glatch, 20, will make her second consecutive Fed Cup appearance for the U.S. after winning two singles matches in her debut against the Czech Republic in the 2009 World Group semifinals. Glatch won her fifth career singles title on the USTA Pro Circuit in Laguna Niguel, Calif., in January, and had her best-ever showing in a tour-level event in Indian Wells, Calif., where she reached the third round. She also upset Italy’s Flavia Pennetta in the first round of the 2009 French Open to match her best result in a Grand Slam. Glatch is currently ranked No. 136 in the world.
The U.S. won the last meeting between the two nations in 2003 in the quarterfinal tie in Washington, D.C., as Chanda Rubin and Meghann Shaughnessy each won two singles matches to lead the U.S. to a 5-0 victory.
