Belgium v Italy in Fed Cup Final

Although Kim Clijsters will be sitting out of the championship tie while rehabilitating from a left wrist injury suffered during the summer hardcourt season, Henin-Hardenne is in good company on her nation's squad, joined on the team by compatriots Kirsten Flipkens, Caroline Maes and Leslie Butkiewicz. Flipkens will likely be the nation's second singles competitor. She just made her Top 100 debut on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Singles Rankings, having qualified and reached the second round in her US Open debut. She also notched two singles wins during Belgium's semifinal tie with the United States.

Henin-Hardenne is one of the toughest players to beat in Fed Cup. She is 13-2 lifetime, her only losses coming in the 2000 semifinal (to Monica Seles) and in this year's first round (she and Clijsters lost a dead doubles rubber to Maria Kirilenko and Dinara Safina).

The Italian team will be led by a pair of Top 20 players and fierce competitors, namely Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta. Neither has claimed a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title this year but both have reached multiple finals, and they'll both have high expectations heading into the weekend. Joining them will be Mara Santangelo, who won her maiden Tour title earlier this year (at Bangalore) and made it to the third round at the US Open; and young serve-and-volleyer Roberta Vinci, a three-time doubles titlist on the Tour.

Head-to-heads for these teams aren't all too reflective of this weekend's tie. The series is led by Italy, 6-0, but their last duel came four years ago, in the 2002 quarterfinals; but the only players from this one that played that one are Maes and Vinci. Perhaps the most telling stat from the past is that Belgium has been here before, winning the Fed Cup title in 2001; this is Italy's very first final.

Both squads notched impressive upsets over last year's finalists in the Fed Cup's first round earlier this year. Belgium took out two-time defending champion Russia, while Italy beat 2004 and 2005 runner-up France. In the semis, Belgium beat the United States while Italy defeated Spain.

This is the 43rd year of competition for Fed Cup. Both of this season's finalists are guaranteed spots in the 2007 World Group, alongside the United States, Spain, and the World Group I Play-off winners (Russia, France, Japan, China).
-- WTA