Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina teamed up to help the Russian Federation retain the Fed Cup title on Sunday, beating Amelie Mauresmo and Mary Pierce of France 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in doubles to give the Russians a 3-2 win.
Dementieva, who also won both of her singles matches, sank to her knees in celebration after Mauresmo hit a forehand long on match point at Roland Garros.
Russia beat two-time champion France 3-2 in the final last year in Moscow.
”I’ve been waiting so long for this,” Dementieva said. ”I’m so happy.”
Both teams were inconsistent in the final match, with seven breaks of serve in the first set. Pierce and Mauresmo dictated the second set as Russia started to look weary.
Pierce hit one forehand so hard that Safina’s racket spun out of her hand, and on the next point the ball smacked the Russian on the thigh.
”I didn’t try and hit her on purpose,” Pierce said. ”Sometimes that happens in tennis, but it was not my goal.”
Mauresmo looked nervous throughout the deciding set, increasing the pressure on a tired Pierce to keep France in the match.
”It’s hard to analyse straight after a defeat,” Mauresmo said.
”But I think one of the reasons is Dementieva. She carried the team this weekend. She was so solid. Sometimes things just don’t work out.”
Pierce then held a love service game to make it 2-2, but a series of loose shots from Mauresmo allowed Russia to break and take a 4-2 lead.
Earlier, Mary Pierce came back from 4-1 down in the second set after losing the first to beat Anastasia Myskina 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to even the best-of-five series at 2-2.
Pierce, who lost to Dementieva on Saturday and was nearly dropped for Sunday’s reverse singles match, won five straight games and 11 of 13 to get the win.
Myskina’s unforced errors again cost her, causing her to shout at herself in frustration. She also argued with team captain Shamil Tarpischev and then slumped in her chair at 3-1 down in the deciding set.
Pierce, a French and U.S. Open finalist this year, won the match with a forehand winner down the line from Myskina’s weak second serve. Pierce then punched the air in celebration while Myskina shook her head solemnly.
In the first reverse singles match, Dementieva put Russia ahead by beating Mauresmo 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 — Mauresmo’s first Fed Cup singles loss since July 2002, and her third straight loss to Dementieva.
Neither player could hold serve until Dementieva served to lead 5-3. Both players struggled with consistency.
”I was tired in the third set,” Dementieva said. ”Amelie was starting to impose herself, so I had to be aggressive and come to the net more.”
In the deciding set, Mauresmo saved two break points at 2-4 but double-faulted to allow Dementieva to serve out the match.
”I don’t think that was the turning point,” Dementieva said.
”But opening up a 3-0 lead was very important as it clearly bothered Amelie and I was feeling confident.”
Mauresmo lost her serve eight times overall and made 48 unforced errors, compared to 50 for Dementieva, who had her serve broken six times. – Sapa-AP