Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/315708
ITFWORLD SPRING 2014 17 www.itftennis.com in the top 50, the Kazakhs were not to be underestimated. In front of 16,000 people each day in Geneva's Palexpo, they showed why. Andrey Golubev has a hugely impressive record at home, winning 14 of 16 rubbers played in Kazakhstan, but the 26-year-old showed that he is pretty handy on the road too as he beat Wawrinka in four sets in the opening rubber, before Federer levelled the tie in dominant fashion with a straight-sets win over Mikhail Kukushkin. Despite Wawrinka's surprise defeat, there would not have been many in the crowd prepared for what they witnessed in the doubles as the Kazakhs picked up what is undoubtedly the shock result of this year's competition so far. Federer and Wawrinka, gold medallists at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, lost in four sets to Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovyesov, the former Ukrainian who was playing his first match for Kazakhstan. The Kazakh fans' dreams of a semifinal berth took one step closer to reality as Kukushkin took the first set against Wawrinka in the first reverse singles rubber, but the Swiss turned it around, winning in four sets to level the tie, before Golubev could not replicate his first-day heroics, losing in straight sets to Federer in the decisive rubber. In September, Switzerland hosts Italy, returning to the Palexpo. Italy will play its first semifinal since 1998 largely thanks to the efforts of Fabio Fognini, who has been in inspirational form on clay this year. The 27-year-old won all three of his rubbers in Italy's 3-1 victory over Argentina in Mar del Plata to condemn the hosts to their first loss in the opening round since 2002 and set up a quarterfinal tie at home to Great Britain in Naples. Clay is certainly not Britain's preferred surface, however captain Leon Smith's side had managed to claim a 3-1 first-round victory over USA on the temporary clay court laid down at Petco Park, the home of the San Diego Padres baseball team. James Ward's comeback against Sam Querrey, ranked 130 places above, eased the pressure on Andy Murray and helped clinch Britain's first World Group victory for 28 years. Ward, the 27-year-old who has never been ranked higher than No. 137, has a Fabio Fognini was the star of Italy's comeback against Great Britain Swiss fans in Geneva The picturesque court in Naples, Italy