Russia to face Czechs in Fed Cup final

Russia will play the Czech Republic in the final of the Fed Cup after the United States and France were relegated from the top tier for the first time.

The World Group semi-final ties were dominated by absent stars, with Russia to host the Czechs on November 5-6 after completing a 5-0 rout of two-time defending champions Italy in Moscow.

The Russians were heavily favoured to win in the Russian capital as Italy was without top players Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta.

The Czechs beat Belgium in the deciding doubles for a 3-2 victory in Charleroi. The Belgians couldn't make up for the absence of the injured Kim Clijsters and the retirement earlier this year of Justine Henin.

The Americans, the record 17-times champions but playing without Venus and Serena Williams, were relegated after going down 5-0 to Germany in Stuttgart.

France was also relegated after falling 4-1 to hosts Spain in Lleida.

Russia and Italy have dominated the Fed Cup since 2004, winning all seven titles between them. Russia are unbeaten at home in 10 ties since losing to France in the 2003 semi-finals. The streak includes a win over Italy in the 2007 final.

Italy were missing Schiavone, the French Open champion withdrawing to concentrate on the claycourt season. Pennetta is sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Vera Zvonareva beat Roberta Vinci 6-4 6-2 in the first reverse singles to give Russia an insurmountable 3-0 lead.

"I don't care about Schiavone and Pennetta," Vinci said afterward. "This is the team we have. Right now I'm No.1 for Italy and Sara (Errani) is No.2."

After the teams split the reverse singles on Sunday, Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova beat Yanina Wickmayer and Kirsten Flipkens 6-4 6-4 to put the Czechs in their first final since they won the title as Czechoslovakia in 1988.



The Czechs had lost in the semi-finals the previous two years.