Italy advances to another Fed Cup final

Rome: Flavia Pennetta beat Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (3), 6-2 Sunday to qualify Italy for its fourth Fed Cup final in five years.

The victory gave Italy an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the best-of-five series, and then the hosts won two more matches to post a 5-0 shutout. The 60th-ranked Kvitova was a late substitute for the top Czech player, Lucie Safarova, who managed to win only two games against Francesca Schiavone on Saturday.

The 15th-ranked Pennetta opened the series with a win over Lucie Hradecka.

Russia is playing the United States in the other semifinal.

Italy won the Fed Cup in 2006 and 2009.

"This team has written another chapter in the history of Italian tennis," Italy captain Corrado Barazzutti said. "They are really extraordinary. I think it will be many years before we have another team like this one."

Kvitova double faulted to hand Pennetta the first-set tiebreaker, and Pennetta closed out the match with an ace on her first match point before an enthusiastic crowd at the Foro Italico.

Sara Errani then beat Hradecka 6-4, 6-2 and Errani and Schiavone teamed in doubles to defeat Hradecka and Kveta Peschke 6-2, 6-4.

Meanwhile, Belgian Kim Clijsters is out for up to six weeks after tearing a muscle in her foot during Saturday's Fed Cup singles match against Estonia.

The injury forced her to pull out of Sunday's reverse singles in the Fed Cup best-of-five series against Estonia, and places in grave doubt the US Open champion's participation in next month's French Open.

Clijsters beat Maret Ani 6-4, 6-2 Saturday despite discomfort in her left foot in the second set.