TNT Sports
France win Fed Cup
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Published 23/11/2003 at 10:55 GMT
In Moscow, Amélie Mauresmo routed Meghann Shaughnessy 6-2 6-1 to give France an unsurmountable 3-0 lead over the United States on Sunday. The French lift their first Fed Cup trophy since 1997. Martina Navratilova and Lisa Raymond saved face with a win in
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The world number four's victory gave the French an unassailable 3-0 lead over a U.S. team missing several of their top players with one singles match and the doubles remaining in Sunday action.
After clinching the tie Mauresmo, in tears, ran off court to embrace French captain Guy Forget.
"Yes, I was crying because it was very emotional moment," the 24-year-old said afterwards. "We were not very lucky in the last couple of years as we have tried very hard but just couldn't make it, so this is a very big win for us."
The Americans, playing in their 26th final, were chasing a record 18th Fed Cup crown.
France led 2-0 lead after the first day, with Mauresmo beating Lisa Raymond 6-4 6-3 and Mary Pierce overcoming Shaughnessy 6-3 3-6 8-6.
On Sunday, Mauresmo dominated Shaughnessy right from the outset, breaking her opponent twice in the first set and three more times in the second to close out the match in just 60 minutes.
"I was really aggressive right from the beginning and didn't give her many chances," the world number four said.
Mauresmo, who has won all her Fed Cup matches this week, declined to single out any of her four victories.
"Well, we had tougher matches against Russia, but every point was just as important," said the 24-year-old, who led France to a 3-2 win over the host nation in their semi-final tie.
"Me and Mary both played really well and we deserved this victory."
The French victory was especially sweet for Forget, who became the second person to lead his country to both Davis and Fed Cup titles, repeating the feat of compatriot Yannick Noah.
Noah captained France to their first Fed Cup crown in 1997 when they beat the Netherlands 4-1 in the final.
Forget, who first won the Davis Cup as a player in 1991 with Noah as coach, also captained France to the title 10 years later.
The defeat for the United States also ends Martina Navratilova's record of never being on the losing side in a Fed Cup tie, which stretched back to her debut with Czechoslovakia in 1975.
But the 47-year-old still extended her personal tally of 38 Fed Cup match victories without defeat to 39 when she teamed up with Raymond for a 6-4 6-0 win over Emily Loit and Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro in the dead doubles rubber.
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