Spain wins third Fed Cup
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See the article in its original context from July 1994.
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Martinez opened with a straight-set victory over Mary Joe Fernandez, 6-2, 6-2 before Sanchez Vicario drubbed Lindsay Davenport even worse 6-2, 6-1.
Sanchez Vicario and Martinez, the No. 2 and 3 ranked players on the WTA Tour, then teamed up to complete the rout, clobbering Gigi Fernandez and Mary Joe Fernandez in doubles 6-3, 6-4.
It was the second straight title for Spain, which won its first Federation Cup in 1991. It lost to Germany in the 1992 final. The victory also denied the United States its 14th Federation Cup. The Americans' 13 titles are nearly double its next closest rival, Australia (seven).
The American team players had little chance against the overpowering Spanish duo in the singles matches.
Playing under a clear blue sky with the temperature about 34 degrees Celcius (95 Fahrenheit), Martinez broke Fernandez in the second-and-eighth. games of the first set. Fernandez had a break chances in the third, fifth and seventh games, but wasted them. Martinez broke Fernandez at her first chance in the second set to lead 2-0, and after Fernandez held on her next serve, she was broken again to give Martinez a 5-1 lead. Fernandez broke back to stave off defeat, but Martinez broke the American once more to close out the victory.
Sanchez Vicario waited until the third game to break Davenport, and with another in the fifth, easily won the first set. She broke the American, ranked sixth by the WTA Tour, in the first, fifth and seventh games to win in 63 minutes.
Sunday's performance was in stark contrast to Saturday, when Sanchez Vicario had to struggle to get past Germany's Anke Huber in the semifinals. "I think the fight I had yesterday was good," Sanchez Vicario said. "I was worried. I controlled the points better today. I was very happy."
"It was great to win this tournament for our country. We are very proud." Sunday's championship confirms Spain's strong standing-in-the-tennis world. Spain's Sergi Bruguera and Sanchez Vicario took the men's and women's titles at the French Open this year, and Martinez won the women's title at Wimbledon.
Sunday's final in Frankfurt was the last time the Federation Cup was to be contested under its best-of-three format in a one-week tournament.
Next year's competition will be played on a format similar to the men's Davis Cup, with the tournament spread out over the entire year and best-of-five matches contested over two days.
