Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone won their singles in straight sets for defending champion Italy to lead the Czech Republic 2-0 in the Fed Cup semifinals.

Pennetta defeated Lucie Hradecka 6-4, 7-5, while Schiavone overcame Lucie Safarova 6-0, 6-2 at the Stadio Nicola Pietrangeli yesterday.

The favoured Pennetta was made to work hard. She managed only one break in the first set against Hradecka and failed to hold her rhythm in the second.

Schiavone had a much easier game against Safarova and was fully in control of the first set. The Czech went to a 2-0 lead in the second before Schiavone used her experience to sweep the last six games for the match.