Whitley blog

French take stranglehold as Sharapova crashes in Fed Cup

MOSCOW (AFP) – Virginie Razzano, ranked 83 in the world, gave France a 2-0 lead in their Fed Cup World Group encounter with Russia in Moscow on Saturday by ousting home favourite and world number 13 Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-4.

Alize Cornet had given the injury-hit visitors a 1-0 lead in producing a surprise win of her own, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Cornet had never previously won a Fed Cup singles match but showed that her solid form at the Australian Open in January, where she made the third round, was no fluke.

The Frenchwoman fought back after losing the first set to level the match and battled through the pain of a sore ankle, which required several spells of treatment at the start of the third set, to stun her Russian opponent in the decider.

Razzano, 27, then took advantage of some poor serving from Sharapova, who had beaten her in their only previous meeting just last month at the Australian Open but who aided her own downfall with six double faults in the opening set.

Russia lifted the trophy in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008, but they have never to date overcome a 2-0 first day deficit which they will have to do on Sunday when the final three rubbers of this quarter-final tie are played.