Italy's Fed Cup captain Corrado Barazzutti was clearly delighted with her team's
performance against France in the semi-finals. "They're champions. They showed a lot
of character over two hot days," she enthused. "The conditions were very tough but the
girls played with a lot of heart." No one played with more heart than Francesca
Schiavone whose indomitable spirit was evident throughout the weekend, not least
when she battled back from 2-5 down in the third set to beat Tatiana Golovin and earn
her team a shot at the final by means of the decisive doubles rubber. She teamed up
with Roberta Vinci to take on Nathalie Dechy and Severine Bremond. The Italians dropped
the first set but were completely undeterred, prevailing 4-6 6-1 6-2 to secure their
place in the final for the second successive year.
An athletic and feisty counterpuncher, Schiavone has yet to win a WTA singles title
but has reached eight finals. She has also reached the quarter-finals in two Grand Slam
events - once in her French Open debut in 2001 and again at the US Open in 2003. Along
with Mara Santangelo, Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci, she was in Italy's successful
Fed Cup team that beat Belgium 3-2 in the 2006 final. She is coached by Daniel Panajotti.
A relatively late starter, Schiavone took up tennis at the age of ten. She quickly
developed a versatile game, effective on all surfaces. Away from the courts, she enjoys
going out to restaurants and discos with friends. She also enjoys writing, listening
to music and driving fast in her car.
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