Five-time champions Spain reached the Fed Cup final yesterday, thumping China 4-1 to set up a title decider with Russia.
Nuria Llagostera Vives beat Peng Shuai 6-4, 6-4 in 1 hour, 34 minutes to give Spain an unassailable 3-0 lead after the first match.
“We knew we could win, but we never expected to finish the first day 2-0 up and to be 3-0 up on the second day, but we worked for this all week,” Llagostera said.
“We have been very focused and we knew what we had to do to win every match,” she said, saying team spirit was one of the reasons for the victory.
Team captain Miguel Margets Lobato said he believed the Spanish were capable of going on to lift the Fed Cup, even against tennis powerhouse Russia.
“No matter what our former glories are, we are putting in a lot of effort now and we don’t give up. We will not be afraid of the Russian team. We play with passion and will have a chance to win,” Lobato said.
Spain did not lose a single set in the first three matches of their semi-final clash.
In the first match yesterday, Llagostera, ranked 76 in the world, was in the groove quickly, putting pressure on Peng’s serve in the opening game and breaking in game three for an early advantage.
The single break was all the Spanish player needed to take the first set 6-4 in 43 minutes.
Llagostera broke again in the third game of the second set, but Peng, buoyed by the passionate crowd, broke back straight away to level at 2-2, forcing the dominant Spaniard on to the defensive.
But Llagostera, who mixed crunching backhands with some delicate touches, including an exquisite lob, continued to play the big points well and broke again to take a 4-3 lead, going on to take the set 6-4.
Peng, ranked 68, battled hard, but could not gain a foothold in the match, with unforced errors proving costly against her more consistent opponent.
“I think I played better today than yesterday. If I’d played as well yesterday, I might have won,” Peng said. “[Llagostera] played well today and runs so fast. I had some chances in the second set, but I did not take them.”
In the final singles match of the tie, Zheng Zie pulled one back for China, beating Carla Suarez Navarro 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.
But in the doubles clash, Llagostera and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez thrashed the Chinese pairing of Peng and Olympic doubles gold medalist Sun Tiantian 6-2, 6-1. Spain led 2-0 overnight after two straight-sets wins on Saturday after Llagostera beat Zheng 6-3, 6-4 and Suarez overcame Peng 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).
■ RUSSIA 3, US 0
AFP, MOSCOW
Vera Zvonareva battled back from a set down to put defending champions Russia into the Fed Cup final yesterday by beating Vania King of the US to give her team an unassailable 3-0 lead.
The 23-year-old, who substituted for world No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova, won through 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in her first ever meeting with King in 1 hour, 52 minutes.
“It was my first match this season on the clay,” Zvonareva said. “I’m happy to win this deciding point as I haven’t played in the Fed Cup for a very long time. It was really tough to be out there as King was playing really good today.”
A break in the ninth game helped 19-year-old King wrap up the opening set in 36 minutes.
But 14th-ranked Zvonareva replied positively, breaking in the sixth game of the second set to level at one set all after 1 hour, 11 minutes on the red clay courts of Moscow’s Luzhniki small indoor arena.
In the deciding set, Zvonareva broke early for a 3-1 lead. King, ranked 115th, fought back but failed to save the day as Zvonareva broke again in the seventh game minutes before she sealed the match and a ticket into the final.
On Saturday, Anna Chakvetadze gave the hosts the first point when she beat King 6-4, 7-5, and was followed by Kuznetsova who beat Ahsha Rolle 6-2, 6-1.
■ FRANCE 4, JAPAN 1
AFP, TOKYO
Former world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo outclassed Ai Sugiyama to lead France to a easy win over Japan and secure a return to the Fed Cup World Group yesterday.
The 2006 Wimbledon champion needed only 74 minutes to secure a straightforward 6-1, 6-4 victory over the former world doubles No. 1 in the best-of-five contest.
In the second singles dead rubber, Virginie Razzano defeated substitute player Aiko Nakamura 6-4, 6-4 to make it 4-0.
Japan saved some face as Sugiyama teamed up with Ayumi Morita to beat Nathalie Dechy and Alize Cornet 6-1, 6-3 in the doubles match to elude a whitewash.
“Obviously I’m happy to win this tie. It’s very important to us, to me and to the whole team,” Mauresmo said.
Mauresmo, who has never lost to Sugiyama in their previous eight encounters on the tour, was never in trouble, although she was once tied at 4-4 in the second set.
“I’m very, very satisfied with the way I played. Right from the beginning I really controlled the points and I was able to read her game pretty well and really make the difference with my serve,” Mauresmo said. “I know from the baseline I was able to move her round. I’m just happy. I think it was a good match.”
Meanwhile, Razzano appeared surprised by an unexpected tough challenge from Nakamura, ranked 82nd against her 28th.
“I was very surprised, because she [Nakamura] hit a strong forehand and she didn’t make errors. It was maybe 100 percent, a positive forehand. It’s her best shot,” Razzano said after the 86-minute match. “I tried to stay in my game, because it was very important to keep my game, and tried to play better.”
On Saturday, Mauresmo overwhelmed up-and-coming teenager Morita 6-0, 6-2, while Japan Open champion Razzano fended off a late challenge by Sugiyama 6-1, 7-5.
■ SERBIA 3, CROATIA 0
AP, ZAGREB
Ana Ivanovic beat Nika Ozegovic 7-5, 6-1 yesterday in reverse singles to give Serbia an insurmountable 3-0 lead against Croatia in their Fed Cup playoff tie.
Second-ranked Ivanovic — who missed the opening singles on Saturday because of a viral infection — struggled in the first set against Ozegovic, but then dominated in the second with powerful serves and cross-court forehands.
On Saturday, Jelena Jankovic cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Ozegovic, while Serbia’s reserve Ana Jovanovic beat Jelena Kostanic-Tosic 6-4, 7-5.
Serbia will play in World Group II, Croatia go back to regional play.
■ ARGENTINA 1, GERMANY 1
AP, LONDON
On Saturday, Gisela Dulko overpowered Germany’s Sabine Lisicki 6-2, 6-2 to give Argentina an early lead in Buenos Aires, before Martina Muller coasted to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Jorgelina Cravero.
“I played a more steady game and she gave me a lot of points with her errors,” 47th-ranked Dulko said, Argentina’s top player. “But I know clay is not her favorite surface.”
■ ISRAEL 1, CZECH REPUBLIC 1
AP. LONDON
In Ramat Hasharon, Israel, on Saturday Petra Kvitova put the visiting Czech team ahead with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 win over Shahar Peer, but Tzipora Obziler leveled it at 1-1 with a 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 win over Lucie Safarova.
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