FED CUP ITALY-SPAIN

(Translation from Diario La Provincia (18th April 1999))
 

Magüi won without problems and got the first point for Spain in the Fed Cup.

    The first day of the quarterfinals between Italy and Spain, of the World Group I in the Fed Cup being played in Reggio Calabria, finished with the score of 1-1, thanks to the wins of both numbers one, Magüi Serna and Silvia Farina.

    The eliminatory, in which Spain defends the fifth title got last year, without Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and Conchita Martínez, began with the Canarian Magüi Serna’s win, who showed she was Spain’s number one by defeating Rita Grande, by 6-2, 6-4. In the second match of the day, Silvia Farina defeated Virginia Ruano, who made her debut in a single match, by 5-7, 6-3, 6-0.

    The two numbers one, Farina and Serna, will play the third point of this quarterfinals eliminatory today, from 14.30 (Canarian time). Later, Grande will play Ruano, and the doubles match is expected to be Grande-Farina against Gala León-María Antonia Sánchez Lorenzo.
María Luisa Serna, number 26, got the first point for Spain in an easy match against Grande, number 54, in just 75 minutes. The  game that the Canarian showed on the greenset court at the Sports Palace in Reggio Calabria was demolishing. The player coached by Lorenzo Fargas got seven aces, only lost her serve once and played all the time near the net, where she demolished Grande with her volleys.

    Serna got an advantage of 4-0 in the first set, which confused her rival. Grande was very nervous because of the responsability and couldn’t control well the ball from the baseline. That way, Magüi played as she wanted, without paying attention to the pressure and the cheers of the almost 2500 supporters who tried to encourage her player.

Control and sentence

    After getting this set in 24 minutes, Magüi distracted a little at the beginning of the second one. She lost her first serve and let Grande get a 2-0. But this advantage was only an accident. The Canarian player changed her position on the court and broke again her rival’s serve to dominate the match and win it in her third match point.

    In the second match of the day, Virginia Ruano paid the effort she had made in the first set. The player from Madrid, number 28 this week, was leading easily by 5-2, but she lost the concentration and let Farina recover and finally defeat her.