Henin, Clijsters lift Belgium to first Fed Cup title (11/11/2001)

MADRID (Reuters) -- Teen-agers Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters took just 99 minutes to secure a first Fed Cup title for Belgium on Sunday, pounding their way to singles wins over their Russian opponents in a one-sided final.

Henin set Belgium on their way with a devastating 6-0, 6-3 win over Nadia Petrova and Clijsters secured victory in the best-of-three final by steamrollering Elena Dementieva 6-0, 6-4.

"It's a great win for a little country," said world No. 7 Henin after Belgium's first appearance in the final. "I'm so happy with this."

Clijsters, at 18 a year younger than Henin and ranked two places higher in the world, was equally thrilled.

"It's great for everyone -- the Federation, the players, the coach," said Clijsters, who sprayed her teammates with champagne during the presentation of the trophy.

"We've worked so hard all year and this is just like another present at the end of the season. It was important to win for Belgium and for the whole team."

The Belgian pair have been in irresistible form all week at the eight-nation finals, played indoors on clay in the Spanish capital, and they clinched the title with a minimum of fuss.

Henin, who came through an exhausting three-setter against Conchita Martinez of Spain on Saturday, seemed determined to give herself an easier afternoon as she raced through the first set against Petrova in 21 minutes.

She broke in the first game as a nervous Petrova put a limp backhand into the net at break point.

Henin held her own serve to love and never looked back, picking up two more breaks of serve on her way to taking the first set.

Petrova took a bathroom break at the end of the first set and she looked far more composed on her return, finally getting her powerful serve into gear.

She held comfortably in the first game of the second set, rounding off with a thundering ace.

Petrova was still unable to put any pressure on the Henin serve, though, with the Belgian playing an impeccable baseline game.

Henin took her first break point of the second set in game five and then held to love to move 4-2 ahead and within sight of victory.

A crashing forehand winner gave Henin her first match point in game nine. Petrova swung wildly in an attempt to pull out a winner but the ball flashed wide.

"I don't know what happened," said Petrova. "Maybe it just wasn't my day."

Clijsters set about securing victory in the same style, breaking world number 15 Dementieva in the first game as the Russian served a double fault on the crucial point.

Dementieva continued to pile up unforced errors, allowing Clijsters to take the set in only 14 minutes.

Like Petrova, Dementieva improved in the second set, staying with her opponent until game five.

Clijsters missed her first break point of the second set, blasting a forehand wide of the open court, but she made her second as Dementieva put a simple forehand long.

The Russian saved a match point in game 10 with a brilliant return winner down the line but a stunning Clijsters serve out wide at 40-30 gave her no chance and the Belgian leapt from the court to take the congratulations of her team mates.

from cnn.com