Hantuchova guides Slovakia to first Fed Cup title
Simon Cambers, Reuters, Maspalomas, Gran Canaria
Daniela Hantuchova put in a scintillating display of power and precision to guide Slovakia to their first Fed Cup title with victory over favorites Spain on Sunday.
The 19-year-old produced a performance full of maturity under intense pressure to win an epic battle with Conchita Martinez 6- 7, 7-5, 6-4, before Janette Husarova sealed the 3-1 victory by defeating an injured Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario 6-0, 6-2.
Having only played under their own flag since 1994, Slovakia exceeded expectations by beating the five-time winners on their own turf.
"It just meant so much to me," Hantuchova said. "I gave everything I had out there and I wanted to win so much. I was just doing everything I could to win.
"Even when I lost the first set I was really happy with the way I was fighting and I would not give up.
"I am very proud. I think in the end I was just physically a little better than her."
In a pulsating match, Martinez cleverly mixed up her game and it looked to be working when she took the first set 10-8 in the tiebreak.
But despite being unsettled by a time-delay warning at the end of the first set, Hantuchova maintained her composure in the second to level the match on her fourth set point.
The Slovakian then surged to a 3-0 lead in the deciding set, and served for the match at 5-3, only to be broken by a resurgent Martinez.
But the respite was only brief as another Hantuchova forehand brought the match to a fitting end after three hours and 21 minutes.
Sanchez-Vicario became the first woman to play 100 Fed Cup matches when she bravely stepped on court for her match with Husarova despite suffering from a thigh injury.
But the decision backfired as she struggled with her mobility throughout the clash.
Husarova was relentless as she took full advantage of her opponent's discomfort to run out the one-sided win.
When she finally served out for victory, Husarova raised her arms in jubilation before being embraced by the entire Slovakia team.
For Sanchez-Vicario, her pride at setting yet another record in Fed Cup was tinged with the disappointment.
"I am very proud of the records I have but obviously I am a little sad and disappointed," she said.
The doubles, which had been due to complete the best-of-five tie, was canceled with the agreement of both teams.
Slovakia will begin the defense of its title away to Germany in April 2003, while Spain entertain Australia.
Meanwhile in Paris, Marat Safin demolished world number one Lleyton Hewitt 7-6, 6-0, 6-4 in the final of the $2.8 million Paris Masters on Sunday to clinch his first title for 13 months.
The Russian third seed produced a mixture of thundering serves, blistering groundstrokes and deft touches around the net to leave Hewitt helpless after a close first set that lasted almost an hour.
Hewitt, who spent the afternoon desperately scampering around the baseline, bravely saved three match points when serving at 3- 5 down in the third set.
But the 22-year-old Safin, who served 13 aces and hit 40 winners, held his nerve to come back from 0-30 in the next game to clinch victory in two hours 20 minutes.
"I served very well, which is so important against Lleyton," said Safin, winner here in 2000 and runner-up to Andre Agassi in 1999.
"In the second set I was playing perfect tennis, I couldn't miss. But he fights and fights.
"At 3-5 he played great tennis to save the match points but I just made sure I kept concentrating."