Italy won its first Fed Cup title Sunday, beating Belgium 3-2 after an ailing Justine Henin-Hardenne retired with an injury during the deciding doubles match.
The French Open champion won both her singles matches despite a knee injury, but her leg was too weak to complete the doubles.
The Italian duo of Francesca Schiavone and Roberta Vinci led the Belgian lineup of Henin-Hardenne and Kirsten Flipkens 3-6, 6-2, 2-0 when Henin-Hardenne was forced to stop.
A weakened Henin-Hardenne had given Belgium a 2-1 lead with 6-4, 7-5 win over Schiavone in the first reverse singles. But Mara Santangelo thrived in her Fed Cup singles debut, beating Flipkens 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-0 to tie it 2-2 for Italy.
Belgium's undoing came early in the third set, trailing 0-40 on serve. Henin-Hardenne went to the sidelines and her heavy bandage was undone. After a long massage, she returned. But when she lost her game, she called it quits to the dismay of the Spiroudome crowd.
Schiavone, who has yet to win a WTA Tour event, was the star of the Italian team despite losing to Henin-Hardenne earlier in the day. She also beat Flipkens on Saturday.
She was hugged and mobbed by teammates and coaches while the Belgians gathered in a tearful embrace. Even before the doubles, Henin-Hardenne already feared the worst.
``I have no option but to play,'' she said, knowing the Belgians would stand no chance without her in the final of the top team competition in women's tennis.
It was the second significant final in which she was forced to pull out. At the Australian Open, she retired with a stomach bug against Amelie Mauresmo.
Belgium already was at a serious disadvantage when No. 4-ranked Kim Clijsters withdrew because of an injury last month. Instead, substitute Flipkens lost all three of her matches.
The Belgians had played just one doubles each this year, both losses. Schiavone had reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open and Vinci is a doubles specialist.
It quickly appeared that one break would be enough in the first set, and Belgium's chance came when Vinci double-faulted to put the hosts ahead 5-3. Fatigue soon became a distant memory for Henin-Hardenne. She dominated Flipkens, serving out the first set.
Despite a raucous crowd of 6,000 cheering the home team, Italy regrouped in the second set. Henin-Hardenne faced two break points early in the second set but served herself out of them. Flipkens, however, could not hold serve, and the Italians came back one last time and took the set 6-2.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
