# 1997 Fed Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group I – Knockout Stage

The Knockout Stage of the 1997 Fed Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group I was the final stage of the Zonal Competition involving teams from Europe and Africa. Those that qualified for this stage placed first and second in their respective pools.
| Placing | Pool A | Pool B | Pool C | Pool D |
| 1 | Russia | Italy | Belarus | Slovenia |
| 2 | Greece | Sweden | Hungary | Israel |
| 3 | Bulgaria | Romania | Poland | Latvia |
| 4 | | Ukraine | Finland | Georgia |
The eight teams were then randomly drawn into two two-stage knockout tournaments, with the winners advancing to the World Group II Play-offs.

## Draw

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| Russia | Russia | 2 | | | |
| Israel | Israel | 1 | | | |
| Israel | Israel | 1 | Russia | Russia | 3 |
| | | | Belarus | Belarus | 0 |
| Sweden | Sweden | 1 | Belarus | Belarus | 0 |
| Belarus | Belarus | 2 | | | |
| Italy | Italy | 3 | | | |
| Greece | Greece | 0 | | | |
| Greece | Greece | 0 | Italy | Italy | 2 |
| | | | Hungary | Hungary | 1 |
| Hungary | Hungary | 2 | Hungary | Hungary | 1 |
| Slovenia | Slovenia | 1 | | | |

### Semifinals
#### Russia vs. Israel

| Russia 2 | Bari T.C., Bari, Italy 25 April 1997 Red clay (outdoors) | Bari T.C., Bari, Italy 25 April 1997 Red clay (outdoors) | Israel 1 |
| 1 2 3 1 Anna Kournikova Hila Rosen 1 6 6$^3$ 7$^7$     2 Elena Likhovtseva Anna Smashnova 6 4 6 0     3 Anna Kournikova / Elena Likhovtseva Tzipora Obziler / Hila Rosen 7$^7$ 6$^1$ 3 6 7 5 ||||

#### Sweden vs. Belarus

| Sweden 1 | Bari T.C., Bari, Italy 25 April 1997 Red clay (outdoors) | Bari T.C., Bari, Italy 25 April 1997 Red clay (outdoors) | Belarus 2 |
| 1 2 3 1 Anna-Karin Svensson Olga Barabanschikova 5 7 3 6     2 Maria Strandlund Natasha Zvereva 4 6 3 6     3 Sofia Finér / Annica Lindstedt Tatiana Ignatieva / Tatiana Poutchek 6 4 2 6 7 5 ||||

#### Italy vs. Greece

| Italy 3 | Bari T.C., Bari, Italy 25 April 1997 Red clay (outdoors) | Bari T.C., Bari, Italy 25 April 1997 Red clay (outdoors) | Greece 0 |
| 1 2 3 1 Gloria Pizzichini Christina Zachariadou 6 0 6 3     2 Silvia Farina Christína Papadáki 2 6 6 3 9 7   3 Giulia Casoni / Francesca Lubiani Christína Papadáki / Christina Zachariadou 6 4 7 5 ||||

#### Hungary vs. Slovenia

| Hungary 2 | Bari T.C., Bari, Italy 25 April 1997 Red clay (outdoors) | Bari T.C., Bari, Italy 25 April 1997 Red clay (outdoors) | Slovenia 1 |
| 1 2 3 1 Anna Földényi Tina Križan 6 4 6 4     2 Katalin Marosi Barbara Mulej 6 1 6 4     3 Anna Földényi / Katalin Marosi Tina Križan / Katarina Srebotnik 1 6 2 6 ||||

### Finals
#### Russia vs. Belarus

| Russia 3 | Bari T.C., Bari, Italy 26 April 1997 Red clay (outdoors) | Bari T.C., Bari, Italy 26 April 1997 Red clay (outdoors) | Belarus 0 |
| 1 2 3 1 Elena Makarova Olga Barabanschikova 6 2 6 4     2 Elena Likhovtseva Natasha Zvereva 6 4 7$^7$ 6$^1$     3 Anna Kournikova / Elena Likhovtseva Olga Barabanschikova / Tatiana Poutchek 6 3 7 5 ||||
* Russia advanced to the World Group II Play-offs, where they were drawn against South Korea. They won 4–1, and thus proceeded to the 1998 World Group II.

#### Italy vs. Hungary

| Italy 2 | Bari T.C., Bari, Italy 26 April 1997 Red clay (outdoors) | Bari T.C., Bari, Italy 26 April 1997 Red clay (outdoors) | Hungary 1 |
| 1 2 3 1 Francesca Lubiani Anna Földényi 5 7 5 7     2 Gloria Pizzichini Katalin Marosi 6 4 6 1     3 Giulia Casoni / Gloria Pizzichini Anna Földényi / Katalin Marosi 6 3 6 3 ||||
* Italy advanced to the World Group II Play-offs, where they were drawn against Indonesia. They won 5–0, and thus proceeded to the 1998 World Group II.