The Queen of Fed Cup returns to the roster

Team Italy. @flavia_pennetta @SaraErrani pic.twitter.com/B1QDy9sBMF
— The Overrule (@theoverrule) April 17, 2015

No one knows how to rise to the Fed Cup occasion like Flavia Pennetta. Always at her best in a Fed Cup match, Women Who Serve's long-designated Queen of Fed Cup has been placed on the roster to compete--perhaps--in this weekend's World Group Playoffs in her hometown of Brindisi, Italy. I say "perhaps" because Penneta is listed as half of the doubles team, and only as part of doubles.

Camilia Giorgi and Sara Errani are scheduled to play singles against Serena Williams and Lauren Davis. If that winds up 2-2, then Pennetta and Knapp will play doubles against Christina McHale and Alson Riske. On paper, anyway.

Rosters are frequently changed, and this one is likely to be no exception. Giorgi has been known to choke, and she has been known to double-fault repeatedly; she has also been known to pulverize the opposition. Catptain Barazzutti will have to wait and see which Giorgi shows up in Brindisi. (I think it will be the second one.) Errani should be comfortable in a red clay Fed Cup situation, too, even though best friend Roberta Vinci won't be there with her. At any rate, whatever happens, with Pennetta nearby, Italy is ready.

Lauren Davis, by the way, had a very good run in Charleston, upsetting top seed Genie Bouchard in the second round.

Also in the World Group Playoffs, Martina Hingis will play her first competitive singles match since 2007. The first rubber will feature Hingis against Aga Radwanska, and who doesn't want to see that? (Unfortunately, I won't--it's too early for me.) Also playing singles for Switzerland is Timea Bacsinszky, aka the Queen of Mexico. In fact, Hingis and Bacsinszky are the only two players listed on the roster for all Fed Cup events.

In the other two World Group Playoffs events, The Netherlands competes against Australia, and Canada goes against Romania. Genie Bouchard will be part of Canada's team. Red clay would have certainly suited the Romanian players, Irina-Camelia Begu and Alexandra Dulgheru, best, but the home team chose a medium-slow indoor hard court.