Spain to meet Slovakia in Federation Cup final

Simon Cambers, Reuters, Maspalomas, Gran Canaria

Spain will meet Slovakia in the final of the Federation Cup after the two countries won their semifinals in deeply contrasting styles on Thursday.

Host Spanish players needed all their fighting qualities to stave off a superb comeback from Austria before scraping a 3-2 victory, while Slovakia beat Italy 3-1 thanks to singles wins from Daniela Hantuchova and Janette Husarova.

Spain was indebted to Conchita Martinez and Virginia Ruano- Pascual for a place in their 10th final as the pair fought back to beat an exhausted Patricia Wartusch and Barbara Schett 4-6, 6- 3, 6-1 in the deciding doubles.

Leading 2-0 overnight, Spain was expected to wrap up victory by winning at least one of the singles, but Schett beat Martinez 7-5, 6-7, 6-2 before Wartusch played the match of her life to defeat Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario 4-6, 6-4, 9-7 to tie the scores.

"It has to be my best win," Wartusch said. "To play her in the Fed Cup semifinals in front of her home crowd, and to win is something special."

Schett had given Austria hope of a first Fed Cup final appearance when she was rewarded for her aggression with a fine victory over former Wimbledon champion Martinez in a match which lasted two hours and 21 minutes.

"I'm proud of what we've done," Schett said. "To almost get to the final, to get to the semifinals is still good, and we're leaving with a positive experience."

Schett then watched as Wartusch came from a set down to beat Sanchez-Vicario, winner of five Fed Cups with Spain, in a drama- packed three-set encounter.

Sanchez-Vicario looked in control as she took the first set 6- 4, only for Wartusch to surge to a 4-1 lead in the second. The Spaniard fought back to 4-4 but Wartusch broke again to clinch the set and level the match.

That set the stage for a dramatic final set.

First Sanchez-Vicario again came from 4-1 down to level at 4- 4. Then, at 6-5, Sanchez-Vicario saved two match points, but despite the intense pressure, Wartusch held her nerve and clinched victory five games later when her opponent pulled a forehand wide of the sideline.

Sanchez-Vicario sported a bandage to her upper left thigh in the latter stages of the match, but said she was looking forward to the final, when she will make a record 58th Fed Cup appearance, and play in her 100th match.

"That's something that will go in the history books and I am very proud of it," she said.

Slovakia will play in their first Fed Cup final after Hantuchova and Husarova won their respective singles matches to give them an unassailable 3-1 lead over Italy.

Hantuchova, the tournament's highest-ranked player at number nine, rediscovered her best form to beat Italy's number one Silvia Farina Elia 7-5, 6-3.

"I felt much more confident today with the surface, and I was just a little bit calmer, even if the pressure was the same as yesterday," Hantuchova said.

"To play Spain in the final, will be a great experience because they have some great players and have won it many times, but I will do my best to help us win."

Janette Husarova sealed Slovakia's victory when she followed up her surprise win over Farina Elia on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Francesca Schiavone in the second singles. The doubles was later canceled.

The draw for the final, which begins on Saturday, will be made later on Friday, to be followed by the draw for the world group of the 2003 Fed Cup.