Spain power into semi-finals with Medina win

By Mark Meadows

NAPLES, Italy (Reuters) - Anabel Medina Garrigues blew away Italy's Francesca Schiavone 6-4 6-1 on Sunday to send Spain into the Fed Cup semi-finals with an unassailable 3-0 lead over the 2006 champions.

Spain, dominant in the 1990s with five Fed Cup titles, will face China, 3-2 winners over France, in the semi-finals on April 26 and 27. A venue will be decided shortly.

"It depends on what surface we play on but it will be very different. It's going to be pretty open," Medina Garrigues told a news conference.

Schiavone started with an ace but went long or wide on the next four points to surrender the first game.

The set looked to be slipping away from her until the Italian number one seized her chance to break back in the eighth game with a controlled volley down the line.

The home crowd roared with delight but their sombre mood quickly returned when Medina Garrigues stole the next game and then comfortably served out the set.

Spain's world number 30 broke to go 2-1 up in the second set after Schiavone had two close calls from the same line judge go against her.

The Italian remonstrated up close to the male baseline judge after he decided not to call the ball out for a second time. Television replays were inconclusive and when Schiavone won the next point she screamed in the judge's direction.