Russia to face Italy without WTA Tour's top ranked Safina in Fed Cup

Dinara Safina was left off the Russian team that will face Italy in the Fed Cup semifinals on the same day she took over as the world’s top-ranked women’s tennis player, website WBAtour.com reports.

Russia will be represented by Vera Zvonareva, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova and Anna Chakvetadze, the International Tennis Federation announced Monday.

The Russians, who have won four of the last five Fed Cup titles, play in Italy this weekend on outdoor clay in Castellaneta Marina. In the other best-of-five semifinal series, the United States will visit the Czech Republic.

Safina took over the WTA Tour’s top ranking Monday, making her and older sibling Marat Safin the only brother-sister duo to have been No. 1 in professional tennis.

Safina has yet to win a Grand Slam tournament title though she has reached a major final twice. The Russian took over the top ranking from Serena Williams, becoming the 19th woman to top the rankings since they were introduced in 1975.

Former No. 1 Maria Sharapova, who has rarely played for Russia in the Fed Cup, is still recovering from a shoulder injury. Third-ranked Elena Dementieva was also not picked to play, but Zvonareva, Kuznetsova and Petrova are all ranked in the top 10.

Italy, which won the Fed Cup title in 2006 to break the string of Russian victories, will counter the powerful Russian team with Flavia Pennetta, Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci.

The Americans and Czechs had already announced their teams, with Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Liezel Huber, Melanie Oudin and Alexa Glatch set to face Iveta Benesova, Petra Kvitova, Lucie Safarova and Kveta Peschke on indoor carpet in Brno, Czech Republic.

The United States, again playing without fifth-ranked Venus Williams and No. 2 Serena, has won 17 Fed Cup titles but none since 2000.