The United States is on the brink of being swept in the Fed Cup final for the second consecutive year.
Down 1-0 after CoCo Vandeweghe's loss to Francesca Schiavone, the Americans dug themselves a larger hole when Bethanie Mattek-Sands was defeated by Flavia Pennetta 7-6 (4), 6-2. Mattek-Sands fell behind 3-0 and 5-1 in the opening set and appeared to be going down as quicky as Vandeweghe. But Pennetta made this match a lot harder than it should have been. Serving at 5-4, 30-30, Pennetta pushed a simple forehand at net wide, giving her opponent a chance to break and, amazingly, level the set. On the next point, Mattek-Sands struck a backhand down the line that caught an angstrom of the white paint, tying the proceedings at 5-5. She even took a lead of her own at 6-5.
But the same high-risk shotmaking that got Mattek-Sands back in the set was her undoing in the tiebreaker. It was an error-strewn extra frame, and Mattek-Sands was the guiltiest party. She lost the one hour, 23 minute set and, unsurprisingly, wilted in the second.
Pennetta dodged a bullet in this match, which may turn out to be her final live rubber of 2010. Sunday's opening match—a must-win for the United States—pits Mattek-Sands against Schiavone. The Italian is confident and fresh; Mattek-Sands will be on short rest and may be battling an injury (she took a medical timeout in the second set). If the Americans are looking for a boost, maybe that is the match in which to use Melanie Oudin, saving Mattek-Sands for the doubles?
I'm running out of ideas; the Americans are running out of time.
—Ed McGrogan