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WORLD SPORT

Pennetta powers Italy to Fed final

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Victory by proud Pennetta sent Italy into the Fed Cup final.

ZARAGOZA, Spain -- Italy reached their first Fed Cup final on Sunday when Flavia Pennetta overcame Spain's Lourdes Dominguez-Lino 6-2 6-4 to give her team an unassailable 3-1 semifinal lead in Zaragoza.

Italy will play Belgium, conquerors of the USA in Ostend, in the final in September.

Spain, trailing 2-0 after Saturday's opening singles rubbers, pulled a point back in Sunday's first match when Anabel Medina Garrigues powered to a 6-2 6-2 victory over Italy's number one Francesca Schiavone.

But Pennetta produced a gritty display to see off Dominguez-Lino in the searing heat on the clay surface in Zaragoza.

Italy took a commanding lead on Saturday with straight-set wins. Pennetta crushed Medina Garrigues 6-3 6-0 in the opening match and Schiavone won 6-4 7-5 against Lourdes Dominguez-Lino.

Garrigues made a much better start against Schiavone.

Breaking serve in the opening game, she put her higher-ranked opponent under heavy pressure as she moved her around the court in the searing heat.

The Spaniard broke again in the seventh game to go 5-2 up and served out with authority to take the first set.

Schiavone, who beat world number one Amelie Mauresmo in Italy's impressive 4-1 victory over France in the previous round, never looked comfortable as she played a succession of loose shots and netted some easy returns.

Medina Garrigues broke twice in the second set on her way to a comfortable win that gave the five-times winners hope of staging a comeback victory on home soil.

Belgium complete win

Belgium reached the final when Kim Clijsters beat Vania King 6-0 6-1 to give her team an unbeatable 3-0 lead.

Clijsters never gave the 17-year old a glimmer of hope of an upset.

The world number two won the opening set in 22 minutes at the sellout 5,500 Sea'rena indoor hall. "We had an ideal start on Saturday and now I was able to finish it off," Clijsters said. "And I played a lot better."

King was added to the starting line-up early on Sunday to replace Jill Craybas. The veteran felt ill after her loss Saturday to Kirsten Flipkens

The U.S. team had come to Belgium without the injured Lindsay Davenport and Serena Williams. Venus Williams had also pulled out.

Belgium had to do without Justine Henin-Hardenne. The French Open champion dropped out, complaining of fatigue after losing to France's Amelie Mauresmo in the Wimbledon final last weekend.

Unlike Saturday, when she struggled early on against Jackson, Clijsters was fully concentrated from the start.

This time there were few unforced errors against the world number 79, who was clearly overwhelmed by the occasion and won only one game at the start of the second set.

Belgium went 4-0 up when Mashona Washington was forced to retire with a strained ligament in her right knee midway through the second set against Kirsten Flipkens. Washington was 6-2 1-3 ahead at the time.

Craybas and King salvaged a little pride for the United States by beating Leslie Butkiewicz and Caroline Maes 6-1 6-2 in the doubles.

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