American heroics secure place in Fed Cup final
The American Fed Cup team secured themselves a place in the 2009 Fed Cup final on the weekend, defeating the Czech Republic in the final match of a thrilling tie.
The Fed Cup semifinal between America and the Czech Republic came down to the final doubles match of the rubber, where Liezel Huber and Bethanie Mattek-Sands took on Iveta Benesova and Kveta Peschke.
The match provided a fitting finale for a nail-biting tie between the two Fed Cup teams, as the Czech pairing raced to a 2 set lead and held match point before the Americans clawed their way back into the contest.
The Americans went on to win the final three sets to take an impressive 6-2, 5-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-1 victory.
“I’m very emotional,” US captain Mary Jo Fernandez said after the match. “There were so many ups and downs and they had match point. But our girls showed real fight and courage.”
The United States will face Italy in the final of the 2009 Fed Cup after defeating Russia 3-1 in their semifinal. The win also earned Italy the hosting rights to the 2009 Fed Cup final.
