Serena and Venus Williams were in merciless form as they orchestrated the United States’ wipeout of the Czech Republic in the first round of their Fed Cup tie on Sunday. World No 1 Serena overwhelmed the Czech Republic’s Klara Koukalova 6-2, 6-2 to give the United States an insurmountable 3-0 lead. An hour later, world No 3 Venus trounced Iveta Benesova 6-3, 6-2 to put the US ahead 4-0.The United States — champions a record 17 times — will face Italy at home in July. “It feels great. I’m really happy,” said Serena, who like Venus was playing in her first tie since 1999. Last year, the Americans were stunned 3-2 in the first round by Austria in a chaotic weekend during which captain Billie Jean king kick top player Jennifer Capriati off the team. This week, King, coach Zina Garrison, the Williamses, Meghann Shaughnessy and Alexandra Stevenson were as close as a group of sorority sisters. “The biggest difference (between this year and last) is you see that team work and chemistry works,” Garrison said.“Venus and Serena seemed to be very excited to go out and play. One of the great pictures was when all four of them were holding up the flag and Billie and I were sitting on the side and saying, ‘This is what team is all about’.” The 21-year-old Koukalova was a late replacement for top Czech player Daja Bedanova, who was removed from the line-up just an hour before the match on Sunday.Czech captain Petra Langrova was hoping to confuse the US with the move. “They told me that it’s going to be a surprise for Serena because she was counting on playing Daja, who she knows very well,” Koukalova said.Koukalova, who had upset Monica Seles in the second round of the Australian Open in January, tried to hang in with the powerful Serena from the baseline but was completely overwhelmed. She failed to negotiate Serena’s booming serves and had few answers for the American’s lethal returns. “She has the strongest serve I’ve ever played, she’s number one but I feel sad because I didn’t play so good,” Koukalova said.Clijsters can’t commitBREE: Kim Clijsters engineered Belgium’s 5-0 Fed Cup first-round white wash of Austria by winning all three of her matches but on Sunday refused to commit herself for her country’s quarter-final against Slovakia in July. Scheduled to play a WTA event in Stanford the week after the Slovakia clash, the world No 2 two was worried the long journey could hamper her chances of victory in the Californian event. “I’m not sure if I’ll play,” Clijsters said. “I don’t like the idea of all that travelling and the jet-lag. I’m still not sure.”Clijsters refused to disclose any further details but if she decided to skip the tie, it would put a huge burden on Justine Henin-Hardenne to pull off a win against the Daniela Hantuchova-led Slovakia. Last year, the 2001 champions went out to Italy in the quarter-finals after both Clijsters and Henin-Hardenne chose to concentrate on their WTA tour commitments. (Reuters)
