By Etienne Stekelenburg
November 1 2002

After being behind 1:0 against Italy in the first match of day one of the meeting the Slovak Republic managed to secure a victory after four singles matches. The Slovak team was leading 3:1 after Hasurova won her second match against Schiavone. On day one Italy’s Francesca Schiavone upsets the Slovak number one Daniela Hantuchova in straight sets 7:6 (1) 6:1.

The Slovak Republic, being the favourites for a spot in the final, unexpectedly fell behind. Hantuchova still was very confident about a good result against Italy.

“In Fed Cup, until the last point you never know what will happen. I still see our chances as very good,” the rising star from the Slovak Republic said after the match.

Schiavone, who played her first Fed Cup match, took an early lead in the match after she broke Hantuchova’s serve and kept her own. She played very confident using her speed and running after every ball.

Hantuchova, clearly frustrated by the fighting spirit showed by Schiavone, missed the spots she was aiming for. Hantuchova managed to level the match and eventually taking a 6:5 lead in the first set.

Schiavone handled the pressure very well and pulled out a tiebreak. The 22 year old from Milan dominated the tiebreak and leaving Hantuchova no chance. Breaking on the Slovak no 1 serve Schiavone held five set points, she only needed one to take the first set.

The second set was not as close as the first and Schiavone dominated the second set as she did in the tiebreak. The # 8 ranked player from Bratislava Slovakia only held her serve in the sixth game after being down 5:0.

The Slovak resistance came a little too late but Schiavone didn’t get the second set for free and had to fight hard for it. She took the game, set and match after three match points 6:1.

"It was my first match, but it is important to remember that it is only one point," said the Italian. "I won the match but if you win against a top player or not it is still only one point."

The second match of the day between 30-year-old Silvia Farina Elia from Milan and 28-year old Jannete Husarova from Bratislava resulted in the equalizing match for the Slovak Republic.

Husarova won the match in 1 hour and six minutes defeating Farina Elia 6:4 6:3.

“I knew that I had to stay focussed whatever the score was in the first match,” said Husarova. “I wanted to win my match, win my point for my country.”

Husarova had a promising start breaking Farina Elia’s serve early in the match, but she could not hold her form throughout the set and lost her own serve with a double fault on love 40.

Fortunately, for Husarova, Farina Elia was struggling to win her serve as well and the Slovak took advantage of the moment to take the lead with 5:3. The Slovak no. 2 nervously started to serve for the set at 5:4 and gave her Italian opponent three breakpoints.

A series of good serves helped to win Husarova the first set in the end when Farina Elia hit a ball wide on advantage for the Slovak. Right after the sixth game when Husarova broke the Italian for 3:2, Farina Elia needed treatment on her lower back from the trainer.

At 5:3 Farina Elia served to stay in the match but challenged on every ball she could not hold her serve and handed the Husarova three match points. The match was finished when the Italian double faulted on the first match point losing the match 6:4 6:3 in one hour and nine minutes and the score levelled to 1:1.

“Janette played a really solid match,” said Farina Elia. “I kept trying to reach her level but I had no options. I was down throughout the match but even when I had an opportunity, Janette played a great point.”

On day two the number one of the Slovak team Hantuchova had to challenge the number two of the Italians Farina Elia. Both players lost their first match of the meeting had to show their value to their country and team-mates.

Starting three hours later than they had scheduled because of the Spanish – Austrian meeting Daniela Hantuchova started as the better player. Although the games were tied up to 4:4, when Hantuchova struggled but held on to her serve after looking at three breakpoints. Making good use of Farina Elia’s errors Hantuchova took the first set 7:5

The Italian was the far more better player at the start of the second set and took a 2:0 lead until Hantuchova realised things had to be done and took game after game for a 5:2 lead. While serving for the match at 5:3 the 19 year old from Bratislava lost her form again and but regained it to finish the match after being 0:30 behind.

The 2:1 lead was secure with this 7:5 6:3 victory.

Janette Husarova played against Francesca Schiavone in a poor match when both players never found the form they showed in their first match. Husarova was leading 5:1 in no time but she squandered all her chances to finish the match and the Italian Schiavone managed to come back to 5:4.

Just in time the Slovak number two remembered her mission and stepped it up a little and won her serve for 6:4 and the first set. In the second set Schiavone tried a change of tactics and she was sending her opponent all over the court spreading her shot left and right. Schiavone broke serve for a 2:0 lead.

Serves were broken since than which led to a 5:4 lead for the Slovak Republic when Schiavone crumbled again. Finally Husarova could serve out the match for a Team Slovakia victory and a place in the final next to Spain.

With the score 6:4 6:4 left for the Slovak Republic in the late hours both captains decided to abandon the non-decisive double match.

The draw for the final:

Saturday 2 November 14.00
Conchita Martinez(ESP) vs Janette Husarova(SVK)

Followed by
Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario(ESP) vs Daniela
Hantuchova(SVK)

Sunday 3 November 14.00
Conchita Martinez (ESP) vs Daniela Hantuchova(SVK)

Followed by
Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario(ESP) vs Janette Husarova(SVK)

Followed by
Virginia Ruano Pascual / Magui Serna (ESP) vs Daniela Hantuchova / Janette Husarova (SVK)