Swedish rule :mad: Having 3 mp's against Antonella, and send them to hell :fiery:
The same thing like last year :mad:
Sofia choker :mad: as usual, now calm down and win the third :fiery:
King Aaron
Apr 26th, 2003, 02:38 PM
:fiery: :mad: Sofia! What the hell? Please don't collapse in the third!
just brk now Hanna and all pressure is on Flavia again !!!
mpt Flavia 40-15
:sad:
Alek
Apr 26th, 2003, 05:16 PM
Hanna Nooni serves:
15-00
15-15
15-30
15-40
Game, Pennetta
Flavia Pennetta (ITA) def. Hanna Nooni (SWE) 6-4 6-3 :sad:
Sweden is tied with Italy 1-1
Good luck Sofia tomorrow :D and Hanna of course ;)!
TheBoiledEgg
Apr 26th, 2003, 05:19 PM
Hanna :sad: :sad: :(
it was too much to expect Hanna to win this one but she did alright.
now good luck girls tomorrow :)
Heja Sverige !!!!!!!!!!!
Steff_forever
Apr 26th, 2003, 05:19 PM
Best of luck Hanna vs Antonella tomorrow !
TheBoiledEgg
Apr 26th, 2003, 08:05 PM
Italy's Pennetta Levels Tie Against Sweden 1-1
Italy's Flavia Pennetta has levelled the Fed Cup first round tie against Sweden at 1-1 by defeating Hanna Nooni 64 63 in the second singles rubber in Linkoping.
Earlier, in a tense battle lasting just four minutes under three hours, Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson defeated Italy's Antonella Serra Zanetti 64 67(2) 63 to give Sweden a 1-0 lead.
Whatever the eventual outcome, Sweden have averted the 5-0 whitewash that it suffered at the hands of Italy when the two nations met in Milan in last year’s first round.
Arvidsson gave the home team a dream start to tie with her defeat of Serra Zanetta. “This is good for Hanna; she can go in relaxed with a win on her back. But we’re taking it match by match, they [Italy] are still favourites but I think we have shaken them,” Arvidsson said after her victory.
The Swedish No. 1 had let slip two match points at 5-4 in the second set. One was on a double fault, one of many in the match. “I don't know what happened, my rhythm was gone.”
Arvidsson, who won the the Swedish under 16 junior championships in the nearby Tennisstadium just three years ago, likes Linköping. “I had the best support I could, from my teammates, playing at home and from captain Nyström who put in some calm comments about using my backhand and going for the right shots.”
Antonella Sera Zanetti was treated for blisters on her foot during the match, but said she would be ready for Sunday’s reverse singles against Nooni. But she admitted on Saturday that Arvidsson “played better, more aggressive and I wasn't surprised, she is a good player.”
Although she had played three clay court tournaments coming in to this tie, Serra Zanetta felt she had no problems with the indoor carpet: “It's actually really slow and the balls are slow as well.” The Italian player was keen to stress that every match is different and she didn't want to comment on her country’s chances in the remaining matches.
Italian Captain Corrado Barazzutti felt that Arvidsson had improved since last year's tie in Milan. He pointed out that rankings don't mean anything in Fed Cup, and was also impressed with newcomer Nooni’s performance in the second singles. Winner Pennetta agreed. “It was a little bit difficult to go in and play down 0-1 but I was confident and perhaps I played better on the most important points. But Hanna is talented.”
Swedish Captain Joakim Nyström was pleased with the day’s 1-1 result. During the week he had stressed numerous times the importance of staying in every set to force the favourite opponents to play at 4-4 or 5-5. In the second singles, Nooni did that, but was not able to close out the first set when leading 4-3.
“I was relaxed before the match but on court I got a little bit tense,” said Nooni. “However I got over this after a couple of games and played okay. My serve has to improve and I must trust my shots when I go for them.”
The Swedish 19-year-old was confident about Sunday’s matches. “Sofia is going to win for sure. My debut is over and the match against Serra Zanetti will be different, she just pushes back, it suits me better to make the points.” “When she started to play drop shots and lobs, I thought we had a new Mikael Pernfors on court,” a smiling Nyström said of Nooni.
Nystrom now thinks the hosts have a 50-50 chance of winning this tie and has promised to take a bath in the nearby river, Stångån, if his girls win. And Nooni, raised just 100 kilometres from Linköping, with family and friends cheering on, was happy with her Captain. “Jocke knows a lot, he was calm and calmed me down. He also put in some tactical advice. Now me and Sofia will try to help each other out to find ways to beat them in the reverse singles.”
well done Flavia/Roby ;)
go and beat the US now ;)
Alek
Apr 27th, 2003, 03:46 PM
ITA def. SWE 3-2
ARVIDSSON, Sofia def. SERRA-ZANETTI, Antonella 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-3
PENNETTA, Flavia def. NOONI, Hanna 6-4, 6-3
PENNETTA, Flavia def. ARVIDSSON, Sofia 6-0, 6-4
NOONI, Hanna def. SERRA-ZANETTI, Antonella 0-6, 6-2, 6-4
PENNETTA, Flavia/VINCI, Roberta def. ARVIDSSON, Sofia/WOLFBRANDT, Maria 6-2, 6-1
WD Antonella and Roberta :). I won't congratulate Miss "I am good and great and I love to pressume" Pennetta.
Good luck against USA :)
Good luck next time SWE :( good fight though.
Calliope.
Apr 27th, 2003, 03:46 PM
Go Italy agains Czech rep :P well against USA
auntie janie
Apr 27th, 2003, 03:47 PM
Hanna!!!! :hearts: :hearts: :hearts:
but ... Team Italia!!!! :D :D :D :D
King Aaron
Apr 27th, 2003, 04:14 PM
Hanna :hearts: :D
Good try Swedes, but I guess like Eggy said Asa really was needed for this tie. Congrats Italy.
TheBoiledEgg
Apr 27th, 2003, 07:05 PM
Italy Sneaks Into Quarterfinals With 3-2 Win Over Sweden
Italy is through to the Fed Cup Quarterfinals in July after a 62 61 victory to Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci in the deciding doubles match against Sweden in Linkoping.
Pennetta and Vinci defeated the Swedish pair of Sofia Arvidsson and Maria Wolfbrandt 62 61 in just 57 minutes to seal the tie for Italy 3-2 and set up a quarterfinal against either the USA or Czech Republic in July.
In Sunday´s first match, Flavia Pennetta gave Italy a 2-1 lead after defeating home favourite Sofia Arvidsson 60 64. She controlled the match from the baseline, making few unforced errors. To the contrary, Arvidsson looked a little tired after her three hour battle against Antonella Serra Zanetti on Saturday.
Pennetta was delighted after giving the Italians the lead: "This is the most important victory of my career. I have played many good matches this year including wins over Clarisa Fernandez, Mary Pierce and Iva Majoli, but now I am playing for my country and it is a great honour for me."
Pennetta cruised through the first set 60 and seemed to be coasting, but Arvidsson struggled back in the second set. She broke back twice, before a nervous Pennetta finally managed to win the set 64 and secure the victory.
A disappointed Arvidsson was impressed by Pennetta’s game: "She played very well and I just did not have the strengths to win today. I know I have good strokes, but you also have to be where the ball is to be able to defeat Pennetta."
It came as a surprise to many when the Swedish Captain Joakim Nyström chose little-known Hanna Nooni as the second singles player. But when the young Swede upset Serra Zanetti in the fourth singles rubber, no-one questioned his decision.
Nooni, who is currently ranked No. 443 in the world, played the match of her life to come back from a set down to defeat Serra Zanetti 06 62 64. At 2-4 in the final set, Nooni was on her knees and was cramping. However, she somehow managed to recover and played her best tennis to take the next four games to win the match.
"I was so tired in the end that I can not remember what happened in the final set. This is a huge victory for me and I do not really understand what I have done yet. Tomorrow I go back seven hours by train to my school in Båstad", a very happy Nooni said on the press conference.
Serra Zanetti gave all the credit to her opponent: "I had not heard about Nooni before the tie. But I must say that she is a good player. Today she played very well, especially on the important points."
In the decisive doubles match, Pennetta and doubles specialist Vinci proved to be too strong for Arvidsson and Wolfbrandt. The Italian duo comfortably won in straight sets 62 61. "We played a good match, but I think the match was much tougher than the score line tells", Vinci commented.
Thanks to the doubles win, Italy clinched the tie by the closest of margins 3-2. Pennetta was the heroine for Italy, winning won both her singles matches and the decisive doubles match with Vinci. The Italian Captain and Davis Cup champion of 1976, Corrado Barrazzutti, was relieved after the tie.
"In Fed Cup rankings are not important and I am not surprised that Sweden won two matches. I am glad that we won and I am looking forward to a match against the United States, although it is going to be a very difficult one."
Nyström was disappointed because Sweden was so close to victory, but was on the whole happy with the efforts of his team.
"I think we showed that we are fighters and that we can play good tennis even under pressure. The victory of Nooni against Serra Zanetti was very joyful. She was cramping, but she really played a dream match. This promises a lot for the future."
Very happy for Italy and for Flavia, she really is growing fast, but I cannot deny my disappointment for Antonella, losing both singles... :o
and I know Sweden had no Asa, but Italy played without Silvia, Francesca and Rita !!!
Sorry Alek !