Belgium, Italy in Fed Cup final
Afp, Paris
American tennis slumped to another low point on Sunday when their woefully under-powered team were beaten by Belgium in the Fed Cup semifinals.Missing the Williams sisters, as well as Lindsay Davenport, the Americans lost 4-1 in Ostend against a Belgian side stripped of triple French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne. Kim Clijsters, the world number two, steamrolled Vania King 6-0, 6-1 to send the 2001 winners into the final, on September 16-17, where they will face Italy, who reached the title match for the first time with a 3-1 win over Spain in Zaragoza. The USA, who won the last of their 17 Fed Cup titles in 2000, endured a demoralising weekend with their defeat coming hot on the heels of the country's worst Wimbledon showing since 1911. Belgium went 4-0 up when Mashona Washington was forced to retire with a strained ligament in her right knee midway through the second set against Kirsten Flipkens. Washington was 6-2, 1-3 ahead at the time. Jill Craybas and Vania King salvaged a little pride for the United States by beating Leslie Butkiewicz and Caroline Maes 6-1, 6-2 in the doubles. Italy defeated Spain 3-1 and the two countries decided not play the 'dead' doubles rubber following Flavia Pennetta's 6-2, 6-4 defeat of Lourdes Dominguez. Italian captain Corrado Barazzutti said it would take time for the ramifications of the "historic" victory to sink in. "We will be able to appreciate later what we have achieved," he said. Like her compatriot Anabel Medina Garrigues, who lost 6-3, 6-2 to Pennetta on Saturday, Dominguez was unable to return the fire of the world number 18 on clay. Trailing 2-0 after Saturday's opening singles rubbers, Spain's comeback hopes were increased thanks to Anabel Medina Garrigues's 6-2, 6-2 victory over Francesca Schiavone, but they wilted in the intense heat with Pennetta's victory over Dominguez. In the World Group play-offs, with the winners guaranteed a place in the elite section next season, there were wins for China, Japan, France and Russia. China reached the World Group for the first time when they beat Germany 4-1 in Beijing. Li Na, who became China's first Grand Slam quarter-finalist at Wimbledon this month, beat Kathrin Woerle 7-5, 7-5 to establish an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the play-off. Tatiana Malek scored a consolation win over Sun Tiantian before Wimbledon doubles champions Zheng Jie and Yan Zi beat Kristina Barrois and Jasmin Woehr in the dead rubber.
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