On Sunday at Tennis Club Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy, in the last day of play of the 2013 Fed Cup final, the 2013 champion at Acapulco, 26 year old #7 (career high: #5) Sara Errani from Bologna, Italy, defeated the 2010 champion at Kuala Lumpur & Seoul, 24 year old #183 (rank down due to a recent battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma; career high: #20) Alisa Kleybanova from Moscow, Russia, 6-1, 6-1 (Sara is shown during the match, and the Italian team—plus veteran Francesca Schiavone—are shown with the Fed Cup afterward).     The win clinched the Fed Cup title for Italy by putting the Italians ahead of the Russkis 3-0 in the best of 5.     Sara said: "We are very happy. It was a very good week for us. I am happy with how I played.     "I know Alisa, she is a great player, so with a lot of tension every point was important for us and it was not easy but I am really happy. I was focused on every point, there was tension, there is a lot of people here and it means a lot for us." ITF story     With the title decided, the Vinci v Khromacheva match was not played.     Flavia Pennetta & Karin Knapp then defeated Irina Khromacheva & Margarita Gasparyan 4-6, 6-2, (10-4) in the academic doubles match, making the final score Italy 4, Russia 0.

    The 2014 Fed Cup World Group (teams actually playing for the title) will start out on Feb 8-9 with Italy at United States, Russia at Australia, Czech Republic at Spain, and Germany at Slovak Republic.

    The 2014 Fed Cup World Group II (teams playing to get into the 2015 World Group) on Feb 8-9 will consist of Switzerland at France, Japan at Argentina, Poland at Sweden, and Serbia at Canada.

On Sunday at Moscow, in the fourth "rubber" of the 2013 Fed Cup semifinal "tie" between Slovakia and Russia, the 2010 Eastbourne champ, 24 year old #20 (career high: #19) Ekaterina Makarova from Moscow, Russia, defeated the 2012 champion at Pattaya City, Thailand (and the 2002 & '07 Indian Wells champ), 29 year old #75 (career high: #5) Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia (residence: Monte Carlo, Monaco), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.     The Russkis had trailed 0-2 after Saturday's matches. Ekaterina's win leveled the score at 2-2. Earlier on Saturday, Ekaterina's teammate, the 2013 champion at Pattaya City, 26 year old #13 (career high: #12) Maria Kirilenko from Moscow, Russia, defeated the 2012 champion at San Diego, 23 year old #15 (career high: #12) Dominika Cibulkova from Bratislava, Slovakia, 7-5, 6-1.     In the decisive doubles match, Ekaterina, partnered with the 2013 champion at Hobart, Tasmania, 26 year old #29 (career high: #22) Elena Vesnina from Sochi, Russia, defeated Daniela and Dominika 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 (Ekaterina and Elena are shown after match point).     It was the first time ever that a team has come back to win after trailing 0-2 in a Fed Cup semifinal.     Elena said: "[Ekaterina is] amazing. We were joking that she's like a soldier. She has a bleeding knee and she won such an amazing match—one of the most emotional matches she has won. And then in the doubles, she was feeling tired, but she's a great fighter." ITF story

    Russia will face either Italy or the Czech Republic in November's Fed Cup final.

    Meanwhile in Palermo, in the third "rubber" of the 2013 Fed Cup semifinal "tie" between Czech Republic (the 2012 Fed Cup champions) and Italy, the 2013 champion at Dubai, 23 year old #8 (career high: #2) Petra Kvitova from Fulnek, Czech Republic, defeated the 2012 champ at Barcelona, 25 year old #7 (career high: #6) Sara Errani from Bologna, Italy, 2-6, 6-2, 6-0.

    Play in Palermo was delayed by rain, and the fourth and fifth matches were postponed until Monday, with Italy leading Czech Republic 2-1.

    UPDATE: Roberta Vinci defeated Lucie Safarova on Monday—Italy will host Russia for the Fed Cup final in November.

    At Delray Beach, Florida, on Sunday, in the Fed Cup World Group Playoffs, the 2013 champion at Brisbane, Miami and Charleston, 31 year old #1 Serena Williams from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, defeated the 2012 champion at Memphis, 29 year old #54 (career high: #29) Sofia Arvidsson from Halmstad, Sweden, 6-2, 6-1 (Serena is shown while defeating Johanna Larsson on Saturday).

    Serena's victory gave the US a 1-0 lead over the Swedes. In the fourth match, #21 Venus Williams defeated #66 Johanna Larsson 6-3, 7-5, clinching the win for the Americans, SWE 1, USA 3.

    Defeating Sweden put the United States in the World Group next year, playing for the 2014 Fed Cup; the Swedes will be relegated to World Group II, playing to get into the 2015 World Group.

    The 2014 Fed Cup World Group (teams actually playing for the title) will consist of the United States, Australia, Spain, Germany, Russia, Italy, Czech Republic and Slovak Republic.

    The 2014 Fed Cup World Group II (teams playing to get into the 2015 World Group) will consist of Poland, France, Argentina, Canada, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland and Serbia.

On Sunday in Rimini, Italy, in the 1st round (quarterfinals) of 2013 Fed Cup World Group competition, the 2012 champ at Dallas, 29 year old #16 (career high: #15) Roberta Vinci from Taranto, Italy, defeated 23 year old #64 (high: #64) Jamie Hampton from Auburn, Alabama, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 (photo shown).     Roberta's win evened the score at 2-2 between the Italians and Americans with only the doubles match remaining. In the third "rubber" of the "tie" on Sunday, the American #1, Varvara Lepchenko, had defeated Italy's #2, Sara Errani, 7-5, 6-2.     Varvara had carried Team USA this far, but the American's might have been better of at the end with either Lisa Raymond (world doubles #7) or Vania King (d #28) on the team. In the doubles, Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani, ranked #1 and #2 in the world, defeated Varvara and Liezel Huber 6-2, 6-2, giving Italy a 3-2 victory over the USA.     Italy advances to the 2013 Fed Cup semifinals, April 20-21, when they will host the Czech Republic. The Czechs defeated Australia 4-0.     Meanwhile at Moscow, Russia, the 2010 Eastbourne champ, 24 year old #20 (career high: #19) Ekaterina Makarova from Moscow, Russia, defeated the 2009 champ at Seoul, 42 year old #77 (and former #4, all time Japanese #1) Kimiko Date Krumm from Tokyo, Japan, 6-1, 6-1 (photo shown).     Kimiko was slowed by an achilles injury. Kimiko said: "In the morning when I was practicing, it was even difficult to walk. I took some pain killers before the match and adrenaline helped me when I was on court. Makarova is a really tough player and it was hard to get many points out there."

    Ekaterina's victory leveled the score at 2-2 between the Russians and Japanese. Earlier on Sunday, Japan's #1, Ayumi Morita, defeated Russia's Elena Vesnina (who had replaced Maria Kirilenko due to illness), 6-4, 6-1.

    In the deciding doubles, Ekaterina and Elena, who play together regularly, defeated Ayumi and Misaki Doi 6-2, 6-2, giving Russia a 3-2 victory over Japan.

    Elena said: "It was tough, but it was an amazing couple of days for us and we are so happy that we beat Japan... Ekaterina was a real hero for us, as she helped us win a couple of crucial points." ITF story

    Russia will host the Slovak Republic in the Fed Cup semifinals. The Slovaks defeated Serbia 3-2 on Sunday.

    Also on April 20-21, in the World Group Playoffs, World Group losers will face World Group II winners. USA will host Sweden, Japan will travel to Spain, Australia will host Switzerland, and Serbia will travel to Germany (matchups were determined on Feb 13).

    WG Playoff winners will be in the World Group in 2014 (playing for the Fed Cup), losers will be in World Group II.

    In the World Group II Playoffs on April 20-21, World Group II losers will face Zonal Group winners. Belgium will host Poland, France will host Kazakhstan, Argentina will host Great Britain, and Ukraine will travel to Canada. Winners will play in WGII next year, losers in Zonal Groups.

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