ROME (AP) — Two-time defending champion Italy will be without regulars Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta for its Fed Cup semifinal in Russia next week.
The fourth-ranked Schiavone announced last week she will skip the event to prepare for the clay-court season and the defense of her French Open title.
The 20th-ranked Pennetta pulled out with a shoulder problem.
Captain Corrado Barazzutti will go with No. 37 Roberta Vinci, No. 43 Sara Errani, No. 95 Alberta Brianti and No. 123 Maria Elena Camerin.
It’s the first Fed Cup match for Brianti, and the first in six years for Camerin.
Vera Zvonareva, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Ekaterina Makarova are on Russia’s team for the April 16-17 semifinal in Moscow.
