Americans set up Fed Cup final date with Italians
Source: Agencies |
April 27, 2010, Tuesday
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THE United States advanced to the Fed Cup final after Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Liezel Huber combined on Sunday to secure a semifinal victory over Russia with a 6-3, 6-1 doubles win against Russia's Elena Dementieva and Alla Kudryavtseva.
The Americans will meet defending champion Italy for the second straight year in the final on November 6-7. The US has won a record 17 times, the last coming in 2000.
Mattek-Sands beat Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in the second singles match on Sunday to keep the US title hopes alive in the best-of-five contest. Sixth-ranked Dementieva's 7-6 (4), 0-6, 6-3 win over Melanie Oudin had given the Russians a 2-1 lead.
Italy reached its fourth Fed Cup final in five years with a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic earlier.
Mattek-Sands became the first American to win consecutive live matches - fourth singles and then doubles - to close out a Fed Cup tie since the best-of-five format was adopted in 1995.
"It's an amazing effort," US captain Mary Joe Fernandez said. "It's always tough to have to play back-to-back, but the good news is Bethanie is used to it. On a weekly basis, she plays singles and doubles. The tough part is her singles match was a very physical match."
Matek-Sands had a half-hour break between the matches to recover.
"I was really pumped," Mattek-Sands said. "I always want to win, whether it's playing singles, doubles or charades. I was ready to go."
Italy advanced to its fourth Fed Cup final in five years with a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic.
Makarova had replaced a struggling Kudryavtseva in the second reverse singles with Russia trying to secure the win before getting to Huber, the world's No. 1 doubles player.
With only three players making the trip, Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev had to pair Dementieva and Kudryavtseva in the doubles for the first time in their careers - without the benefit of practicing together.
"It was very hard to go into the doubles match without any practice and play against the No. 1 in doubles," Dementieva said. "We were hoping to win the singles match and not go into the doubles."
The Americans will meet defending champion Italy for the second straight year in the final on November 6-7. The US has won a record 17 times, the last coming in 2000.
Mattek-Sands beat Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in the second singles match on Sunday to keep the US title hopes alive in the best-of-five contest. Sixth-ranked Dementieva's 7-6 (4), 0-6, 6-3 win over Melanie Oudin had given the Russians a 2-1 lead.
Italy reached its fourth Fed Cup final in five years with a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic earlier.
Mattek-Sands became the first American to win consecutive live matches - fourth singles and then doubles - to close out a Fed Cup tie since the best-of-five format was adopted in 1995.
"It's an amazing effort," US captain Mary Joe Fernandez said. "It's always tough to have to play back-to-back, but the good news is Bethanie is used to it. On a weekly basis, she plays singles and doubles. The tough part is her singles match was a very physical match."
Matek-Sands had a half-hour break between the matches to recover.
"I was really pumped," Mattek-Sands said. "I always want to win, whether it's playing singles, doubles or charades. I was ready to go."
Italy advanced to its fourth Fed Cup final in five years with a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic.
Makarova had replaced a struggling Kudryavtseva in the second reverse singles with Russia trying to secure the win before getting to Huber, the world's No. 1 doubles player.
With only three players making the trip, Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev had to pair Dementieva and Kudryavtseva in the doubles for the first time in their careers - without the benefit of practicing together.
"It was very hard to go into the doubles match without any practice and play against the No. 1 in doubles," Dementieva said. "We were hoping to win the singles match and not go into the doubles."
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