Amelie Mauresmo may be world number one but she was unable to prevent Italy wrapping up victory over France in their Fed Cup World Group quarter-final on Sunday.

Mauresmo had done her duty on Saturday to level the match at 1-1 and must have been expecting to make it 2-1 when she took to the court for her match with Francesca Schiavone.

However, Schiavone had not read the script and saved a match point before despatching the Australian Open champion 4-6 7-6 (7/4) 6-4 to lay the foundations for the win which was completed with a rubber to spare when Flavia Pennetta then beat Natalie Dechy 6-4 6-2, giving Italy an unassailable 3-1 lead.

In July, Italy will now tackle Spain who whitewashed Austria 5-0, while the other semi-final will see the United States, 3-2 victors over Germany, tackle Belgium who were too hot for Russia.

France had been without injured pair Mary Pierce and Tatiana Golovin in Nancy where there had been a festive atmosphere at the start of the day as the locals celebrated their football club's triumph in the French Coupe de la Ligue final on Saturday evening.

The feelgood factor clearly did not permeate through to the players and Mauresmo's defeat delivered a psychological blow they never recovered from.

"Considering the player I was up against and the problems I had to overcome, I would say this is my most beautiful win of my career," Schiavone told www.fedcup.com.

"The last few games of the second set were key. I showed courage when I was match point down and then managed to win the tie break. In the final set Amelie dropped her standard a little and I seized my chance."

In Liege, local favourite Justine Henin-Hardenne wrapped up victory for Belgium with a match to spare against Russia.

The diminutive woman from the French-speaking region of the country thrashed Elena Dementieva 6-2 6-0 to give the hosts a 3-1 lead with just the doubles to come.

Earlier, Flemish-speaking Kim Clijsters had set up the victory opportunity with a 6-1 6-4 demolition of Maria Kirilenko.

None of the three women who won grand slams for Russia two years ago - Maria Sharapova, Anastasia Myskina and Svetlana Kuznetsova - was playing for the under-strength visitors.

The most impressive winners were Spain, who wrapped up victory in Valencia when Anabel Medina Garrigues beat Sybille Bammer 6-0 6-3.

Spain, who had won both singles matches on Saturday, went on to take both dead rubbers, with Maria Sanchez-Lorenzo beating Tamira Paszek 6-4 6-7 (5/7) 7-5 and then Virginia Ruano Pascual and Lourdes Dominguez-Lino teaming up to win the doubles rubber with a 6-4 6-2 win over Bammer and Yvonne Meusberger.

In Ettenheim, it was Jamea Jackson who sealed victory for the US with a game to spare as she saw off Martina Muller 7-6 (7/2) 6-2.

The USA had won both singles matches on Saturday but Germany had given themselves hope when Anna-Lena Groenefeld beat Jill Craybas 6-2 7-5 in Sunday's opening outing.

The Germans at least finished the tie in defiant mood, taking the final dead rubber when Groenefeld and Jasmin Woehr beat Vania King and Shenay Perry, 2-6 6-4 6-2.