Roberta Vinci will take on Alexandra Panova and Sara Errani will face 18-year-old Irina Khromacheva on the opening day of the Fed Cup tennis final between Italy and Russia on Saturday.
The Russians have won the tournament four times in the past 10 years but this time will be lacking star players who opted instead to compete in the WTA’s Tournament of Champions.
Their highest ranked player is Alisa Kleybanova who, at No.183, is ranked 95 places below Italy’s fourth player, Karin Knapp.
“I don’t know her very much. I’ll see maybe on internet how she plays,” Errani said.
“She’s very young but she’s a good player so it won’t be easy for sure but we are ready to go on court and give everything.
“We know we are favourites but it’s not easy. We know there will be a lot of tension but we will try to focus on our game and try our best.”
Khromacheva, Panova and Margarita Gasparyan have never before played for their country.
The Italians are in a fifth final in eight years and are the overwhelming favourites to claim a fourth Fed Cup title.
“We are favourite in this final but I say many times we play Fed Cup and this kind of competition is very dangerous,” Italy captain Corrado Barazzutti said.
The reverse singles are on Sunday with Errani taking on Panova and Vinci facing Khromacheva.
Vinci and Errani are the No.1 doubles team in the world but Barazzutti has chosen Flavia Pennetta, who has been a part of three Fed Cup-winning teams, and Knapp to face Kleybanova and Gasparyan.