TENNIS in DEPTH.

Reigning champions Italy eased into the Fed Cup final with a 5-0 whitewash of the Czech Republic in Rome.

Having led 2-0 overnight, Italy took an unassailable lead when Flavia Pennetta beat Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7-3) 6-2.

Sara Errani defeated Lucie Hradecka 6-4 6-2 before Errani and Francesca Schiavone beat Lucie Hradecka and Kveta Peschke 6-2, 6-4 to complete the rout.

Russia lead the United States 2-1 in the other semi after Elena Dementieva beat Melanie Oudin 7-6 (7-4) 0-6 6-3.

Neither player held serve for the first 10 games of the match before an error-strewn first set went into a tiebreak which Dementieva clinched after winning the last four points.

Oudin, 18, then raised her level, breaking the erratic Russian in the first, third and fifth games of the second set to level the match.

Although Dementieva was again broken in the third game of the final set to trail 1-2, she won the next four games before sealing victory when Oudin hit a forehand long.

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