Mara Santangelo beat Kirsten Flipkens 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-0 Sunday to pull Italy even with Belgium 2-2 in the Fed Cup final.
The deciding doubles match was scheduled for later Sunday.
Santangelo, ranked 33rd in the world and a late replacement for Flavia Pennetta, had to come from behind to beat a player ranked 65 places below her. Flipkens replaced the injured Kim Clijsters, the world's fourth-ranked player.
Earlier, a hurting Justine Henin-Hardenne beat Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-5 to give Belgium a 2-1 lead and bring it to within one match of victory in the top team competition in women's tennis.
``I had the will to win,'' said Henin-Hardenne, adding her right knee injury made it crucial to end the match in two sets.
On Saturday, Henin-Hardenne struggled past Pennetta 6-4, 7-5 and Schiavone overwhelmed Flipkens 6-1, 6-3.
Belgium is seeking its second Fed Cup title in five years while Italy has never won the trophy.
For the second straight day, the No. 2-ranked Henin-Hardenne needed to rally in the second set. This time, she won six of the last seven games against an opponent who was under heavy pressure and facing a partisan crowd of 6,000 at the Spiroudome's indoor hardcourt.
The two-hour match in the stifling arena took a lot out of Henin-Hardenne. Apart from needing eye drops for an irritation, a trainer had to repeatedly treat her right leg for a chronic injury. She knew she would not have lasted another set.
``I was in trouble,'' Henin-Hardenne said. ``It was winning in two or losing in three.''
She also was aware of Schiavone's vulnerability.
``We knew her weakness in clinching matches and we played on that,'' Henin-Hardenne said.
Henin-Hardenne, the French Open champion, didn't rely on the touch of her backhand so much as sheer fortitude that the 14th-ranked Italian could not equal.
In a match between the two highest-ranked players in the final, Henin-Hardenne overcame several double faults to lead 4-1.
Schiavone's main problem were untimely rushes to the net, where she was beaten time and again. Henin-Hardenne had most trouble getting the ball in play, dropping her first serve to less then 40 per cent at one stretch.
``I could not do anything,'' Schiavone said. ``She grew so much in the second set.''
In the second set, Schiavone broke to go up 4-1 as Henin-Hardenne's backcourt game became increasingly erratic. Schiavone twice had a chance to move in front 5-2, but Henin-Hardenne drew to 4-3. The Italian then served for the set. It was only then that Henin-Hardenne was at her best, exploiting every error by her opponent to win the match.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
