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11/11/2001
Belgium Wins First Fed Cup as Henin and Clijsters Sweep Russians
MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Belgium took its first Fed Cup title Sunday over Russia as Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters both won in straight sets.
Henin, calling it a "great victory for a little country," beat Nadia Petrova 6-0, 6-3 in 50 minutes. Clijsters, taking her first set 14 minutes, defeated Elena Dementieva 6-0, 6-4 in 49 minutes in one of the most lopsided finals in history.
It was Russia's fourth loss in four finals in the women's equivalent of the Davis Cup.
Belgium, which has never reached the final of the Fed Cup, was the favorite as soon as the two-time defending champion United States withdrew last month, citing security worries following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The United States has won the title 17 times.
Belgium won its pool in the round-robin portion of the tournament to reach the final with wins over Spain, Australia and Germany. Russia was also 3-0 with victories over France, Argentina and the Czech Republic.
The easy victories were as disappointing as the tiny crowd, estimated at 2,000, that watched the final. Spanish and Fed Cup officials have blamed the light attendance on the absence of the United States -- and a final without the home Spanish team.
"We won the Fed Cup without the Americans," Henin said. "It would have been great if they were here, but they weren't."
"We were the favorites here but we had to prove it on the court and we did it. It's a great victory for a little country with two young players and a great team."
Henin, the Wimbledon runner-up this year, admitted disappointment at the attendance and atmosphere.
"It would be better for sure if we were playing in Belgium or if there were a lot of people, but that's the format now. It's a little bit sad."
Fed Cup officials, acknowledging the event's problems, are changing the format again next season and returning to a four-team instead of an eight-team final. It will be the fifth format change in five years.
Henin, playing Petrova for the first time, ripped through the first set in 21 minutes with three service breaks. Petrova struggled with every phase of her game, spraying groundstrokes and wobbling on her serve.
Petrova, 19, said she was distracted by the opening ceremony and didn't have time to warm up. "Maybe it just wasn't my day. I was ready to play, but when I came out on the court everything went wrong."
Clijsters' victory was almost a duplicate as both the young Russians -- Dementieva, 20, and Petrova, 19 -- seemed nervous.
Henin, 19, and Clijsters, 18, are two of tennis' most promising young players, with Clijsters ranked No. 5 by the WTA and Henin No. 7. Clijsters was the losing finalist in the French Open.
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Belgium Wins First Fed Cup as Henin and Clijsters Sweep RussiansHenin, calling it a "great victory for a little country," beat Nadia Petrova 6-0, 6-3 in 50 minutes. Clijsters, taking her first set 14 minutes, defeated Elena Dementieva 6-0, 6-4 in 49 minutes in one of the most lopsided finals in history. It was Russia's fourth loss in four finals in the women's equivalent of the Davis Cup. Belgium, which has never reached the final of the Fed Cup, was the favorite as soon as the two-time defending champion United States withdrew last month, citing security worries following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The United States has won the title 17 times. Belgium won its pool in the round-robin portion of the tournament to reach the final with wins over Spain, Australia and Germany. Russia was also 3-0 with victories over France, Argentina and the Czech Republic. The easy victories were as disappointing as the tiny crowd, estimated at 2,000, that watched the final. Spanish and Fed Cup officials have blamed the light attendance on the absence of the United States -- and a final without the home Spanish team. "We won the Fed Cup without the Americans," Henin said. "It would have been great if they were here, but they weren't." "We were the favorites here but we had to prove it on the court and we did it. It's a great victory for a little country with two young players and a great team." Henin, the Wimbledon runner-up this year, admitted disappointment at the attendance and atmosphere. "It would be better for sure if we were playing in Belgium or if there were a lot of people, but that's the format now. It's a little bit sad." Fed Cup officials, acknowledging the event's problems, are changing the format again next season and returning to a four-team instead of an eight-team final. It will be the fifth format change in five years. Henin, playing Petrova for the first time, ripped through the first set in 21 minutes with three service breaks. Petrova struggled with every phase of her game, spraying groundstrokes and wobbling on her serve. Petrova, 19, said she was distracted by the opening ceremony and didn't have time to warm up. "Maybe it just wasn't my day. I was ready to play, but when I came out on the court everything went wrong." Clijsters' victory was almost a duplicate as both the young Russians -- Dementieva, 20, and Petrova, 19 -- seemed nervous. Henin, 19, and Clijsters, 18, are two of tennis' most promising young players, with Clijsters ranked No. 5 by the WTA and Henin No. 7. Clijsters was the losing finalist in the French Open.
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