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Big names missing for Fed Cup clash

Melanie Oudin will be USA's best-ranked player © Getty Images

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Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez has been forced to opt for youth over experience after the Williams sisters both withdrew from the USA's semi-final tie against Russia this weekend.

Both Venus and Serena have been struggling to shake off leg injuries, and while Fernandez had held a spot in the team open in the hope one of them would be fit, Venus followed her sister in confirming she would not be fit in time to play.

"I waited until this moment in hopes that I would have an opportunity to play, but I am being advised by my medical support team that I will need more time to recover," Williams said in a statement to USTA.com on Wednesday.

"You can't count out the best player in the world," said Fernandez. "If the best player in the world is willing to play, you've got to have her on. A lot of people are like, 'Why would you go there again?' But I keep trying, I persevere. I understand they're at a different stage of their careers, and it's not a priority."

Melanie Oudin, who reached a career-high ranking of 31 this week, will lead a weakened American team with Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Liezl Huber, while Fernandez is set to choose between either Julia Bosserup or Sloane Stephens.

The USA have not beaten Russia since 1999, but with home advantage and a number of high-profile Russian stars missing, the Americans will hold a hope of progressing to the final.

Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina are all struggling with injuries, so world No. 6 Elena Dementieva leads the Russian charge.

With Vera Zvonareva, Nadia Petrova and Alisa Kleybanova also unavailable, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova will be the No. 2 player with Ekaterina Makarova and Alla Kudryavtseva completing the line-up.

Defending champions Italy will be at full strength as they take on Czech Republic in the other semi-final at Rome's Foro Italico.

They are led by World No. 15 Flavia Pennetta, who has lost just one of her last eight singles rubbers, and Francesca Schiavone, fresh from her first title of the year in Barcelona last week. Sara Errani and Barcelona finalist Roberta Vinci, who has a perfect Fed Cup doubles record, complete the line-up.

World No. 38 Lucie Safarova is Czech Republic's top-ranked player ahead of No. 60 Petra Kvitova and No. 74 Lucie Hradecka, while veteran doubles specialist Kveta Peschke is the fourth member of the team.

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