Errani, Vinci give Italy 2-0 Fed Cup lead

PALERMO, Italy (AFP) –

Sara Errani of Italy hits a return to Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic during their 2013 World Group Semi-final Fed Cup tennis match, the first match of the first day of their semi-final on April 20, 2013, in Palermo. Italy’s Sara Errani won the match 6-4, 6-2.

Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci won their opening rubbers on the red clay of Palermo’s Circolo del Tennis to give Italy a 2-0 lead over defending champions, the Czech Republic in their Fed Cup semi-final on Saturday.

Errani accounted for Lucie Safarova 6-4, 6-2 to get Italy off to a winning start before Vinci beat Petra Kvitova 6-4 6-1 in similarly commanding fashion.

Kvitova will attempt to relaunch the Czechs’ fightback in Sunday’s reverse singles when she faces Errani, while Safarova takes on Vinci.

The concluding doubles rubber will see Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone take on Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.

If successful, Italy will meet either Russia or Slovakia in the final.