Russians edge out French

LONDON, APRIL 19: Russia's Elana Makarova and Elena Likhovtseva scored a 6-0, 7-6 (7-5) victory over Nathalie Tauziat and Amelie Mauresmo...

LONDON, APRIL 19: Russia’s Elana Makarova and Elena Likhovtseva scored a 6-0, 7-6 (7-5) victory over Nathalie Tauziat and Amelie Mauresmo in the deciding doubles yesterday to gain a semifinal place in the Federation Cup. With the match all-square at 2-2 after the singles, the Russian duo overwhelmed the fancied French pair in the opening set and then held on in the tiebreaker.

The Russians will meet Slovakia, which clinched victory over Switzerland in Zurich when Henrieta Nagyova downed Emmanuelle Gagliardi 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 to put her team out of reach at 3-0.

Switzerland was playing without its top two players, World no. 1 Martina Hingis, who can’t fit Fed Cup play into her busy schedule, and Patty Schnyder, who won’t play for the team until the other players, her parents and the media accept her relationship with her controversial healer” Rainer Harnecker.

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The United States will face Spain in the other semifinal.

In Raleigh, North Carolina, Monica Seles and Chanda Rubin teamed to give the UnitedStates a 5-0 sweep of Croatia in a match that was moved because of Nato’s airstrikes in Yugoslavia.

Seles routed Croatia’s Iva Majoli 6-0, 6-3 and Rubin beat Silvija Talaja 6-3, 6-4.

In Reggio Calabria, Italy, Rita Grande and Silvia Farina won their singles matches as Italy eliminated defending champion Spain 3-2.

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Grande sealed the outcome, giving Italy an insurmountable 3-1 lead, by easily overpowering Virginia Ruano-Pascual 6-4, 6-1. Earlier, Farina beat Magui Serna 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.

In World Group II matches, Austria hit back from 2-0 down to beat Australia 3-2 in Klagenfurt. Belgium scored a crushing 5-0 on the road to victory over the Netherlands and the Czech Republic downed Belarus 4-1 in Minsk.The remaining tie between Germany and Japan takes place next weekend in Hamburg.

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