Fed Cup: Lepchenko comes up big for US, tied with Italy 1-1

lepchenko fed cup 2013

A happy Varvara hung in tough in the 3rd set

Varvara Lepchenko had been waiting for years to show off her game on the big stage for the United States and she can through in dramatic fashion grabbing a 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory over Roberta Vinci to even the US Fed Cup tie with Italy 1-1.

The crucial victory came after Sara Errani has cracked Jamie Hampton 6-2, 6-1 in a contest that the young American was never in. Errani dictated for much of the match while Hampton was often wild and unsure of herself.

But that was not the case with Lepchenko, who never fell under Vinci

Fed Cup World Group first round picks

us fed cup 2013

Huber, Fernandez, Lepchenko, Oudin and Hampton look to pull an upset in Italy.

ITALY vs. US

These two teams faced off in the 2010? Final when Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta went up against CoCo Vandeweghe, Bethanie Mattek Sands and Melanie Oudin in singles. Oudin managed to upset Schiavone on day 2, but Pennetta won both her matches and Schiavone bested Coco on day one so the 2013 starting singles Italian duo of Sara Errani and Roberto Vinci never got a chance to play.

They will now in Rimini when Errani opens against Jamie Hampton and Vinci takes on another Varvara Lepchenko, both of whom are rookies. Had the Williams sisters and Sloane Stephens played, the US could have been called the favorites by a nose, but now they are underdogs by at least a half a length.

Lepchenko is more than capable of winning her match as she

Rallying for Relief & Relevance

Before getting into the bouncing balls and those who strike them, I want to say that one of the great things about the tennis community is when it comes together and authentically raises money for charity, in this instance, the Rally for Relief, which raised a substantial funs to help the victims of the Queensland floods. Tennis is of the few sports with truly global appeal and where people of rival nations come together and develop friendships, and on tour, and also in the pressroom, there is a real love for the various nations that host tournaments and Australia is without question the tops of many folks’ list, including mine.

As Sam Stosur, who was just one of a ton of stars to participate including Federer, Nadal, Murray, Roddick, Ivanovic, Clijsters and Azarenka said: