The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : U.S. makes a good start

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 25, 2005

Sport

Sport - Tennis

U.S. makes a good start

LONDON: Defending champion Russia and 2004 runner-up France fought back to level their matches 1-1 while Spain and the United States made comfortable starts in the Fed Cup first round on Saturday.

A Russia team without its three reigning Grand Slam champions was tied with Italy, Virginie Razzano stepped in for injured world No. 3 Amelie Mauresmo to save France against Austria, Spain led Argentina 2-0, and the United States was cruising over a weakened Belgium 2-0.

Without injured French Open champ Anastasia Myskina, and omitted Wimbledon winner Maria Sharapova and U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva was recalled by Russia for the first time in two years and helped to prevent the champion from slipping 2-0 behind to Italy in Brindisi.

After Dinara Safina lost on her Fed Cup debut to Italy No. 1 Francesca Schiavone 7-5, 6-3, Dementieva earned a shaky 6-4, 6-3 win over Tathiana Garbin in her first clay match of the season. It featured 13 breaks of serve.

``The match was not simple however, and I made some mistakes ... it was my first match on this surface this season,'' Dementieva said.

At Portschach, Austria, Razzano was a late replacement for Mauresmo, who withdrew with abdominal pains.

Chosen for the doubles on Sunday, Razzano made light work of 14-year-old Austrian student Tamira Paszek 6-3, 6-3, and consoled a French team stunned by the opening singles loss by world No. 15 Nathalie Dechy.

Dechy was upset by 131st-ranked Yvonne Meusburger 7-6 (3), 6-2.

If Mauresmo is still not fit for the reverse singles on Sunday, Razzano might have to play Meusburger. France, Fed Cup finalists the past two years, has never lost to Austria in four previous encounters.

At Jerez de la Frontera, Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives, on debut, and Anabel Medina Garrigues beat Argentina's Gisela Dulko and Maria-Emilia Salerni by the same 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 scores.

``We have three chances to win tomorrow and it would indeed be great if we took the first opportunity,'' said Spain captain Miguel Margets.

The results (World Group: Group I: first round):

At Brindisi: Italy 1, Russia 1 (Francesca Schiavone bt Dinara Safina 7-5, 6-3; Elena Dementieva bt Tathiana Garbin 6-4. 6-3).

At Portschach: Austria 1, France 1 (Yvonne Meusburger bt Nathalie Dechy 7-6(3), 6-2; Virginie Razzano bt Tamira Paszek 6-3, 6-3).

At Jerez: Spain 2, Argentina 0 (Nuria Llagostera Vives bt Gisela Dulko 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; Anabel Medina Garrigues bt Maria-Emilia Salerni 6-4, 4-6, 6-3).

At Delray Beach: United States 2, Belgium 0 (Lindsay Davenport bt Eveline Vanhyfte 6-0, 6-2; Venus Williams bt Els Callens 6-2, 6-2). — AP

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport