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發表於 2004-11-28 22:39:59
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[B]Russia Triumphs in the Doubles to Win First Fed Cup Crown[/B] 
Amid electric scenes in Moscow, Anastasia Myskina and Vera Zvonareva won the decisive doubles to clinch Russia's first Fed Cup title. They defeated Marion Bartoli and Emilie Loit 76(5) 75 to take the third point against France.
In the first Fed Cup Final to be decided by the doubles match for six years, France missed three set points in the opening set, and Bartoli and Loit twice recovered from losing their serve in a nail-biting second set. But the Russians held firm, and cheered on by a delirious crowd they finally got the decisive break in the 11th game, before Zvonareva served out for love.
Myskina was the heroine of the weekend, winning both her singles matches and tasting more glory in the doubles as a last-minute replacement for Elena Likhovtseva. Afterwards she said it was better than winning the Roland Garros title: “Here I have all my friends around me, and I’m definitely more happy here, right now. Here it is for my team, and for my country.”
The atmosphere in the Krylatskoe Ice Stadium was highly charged as the match started, and Russia took first blood, going 3-1 ahead after three breaks of serve in the opening four games. France then got on a roll, winning the next four games.
Bartoli served for the set at 5-4, but with the crowd at fever pitch dropped her serve to love. The 20-year-old Frenchwoman had only made her Fed Cup debut in this week’s semifinal against Spain, and was the weaker link in the French partnership. Even so, she and Loit were pushed all the way by a supremely confident Myskina. The world No. 3, ranked 16 in doubles, found all the gaps in France’s defence.
The French broke in the next game, and served for the set again at 6-5 with Loit serving. With every player at full stretch in the longest game of the match, France had four set points, but after five deuces it was Myskina who levelled on Russia’s third break point to make it 6-6.
In the tiebreak Myskina and Zvonareva pulled back from 4-2 down, with the Russian No. 1 winning the set with a passing shot that was out of Bartoli’s reach.
There were plenty more service breaks in the tense second set, but the teams kept with each other until 3-3 when the Russians broke Loit and finally held serve themselves in the subsequent game, surviving four break points. Bartoli did well to keep France in the match serving at 5-3, as Myskina repeatedly challenged them, and Myskina herself was broken in the next game.
The hosts struck their fatal blow however on Loit’s serve at 5-6, the Frenchwoman’s errors helping them to the break. Then Zvonareva served out for love: fittingly, it was a Myskina volley right to the French lefthander’s body that set up match point, and when Loit sent a return into the net it was all over.
Although both doubles teams had won titles together, neither were regular pairings. The match had been a battle of will and nerve, and the greater experience of the Russian pair saw them through.
With the French team in tears, Myskina and Zvonareva fell into the arms of first their captain Shamil Tarpischev, then Larisa Neiland and the rest of the Russian team. Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin came down onto the court to offer his congratulations, just as he had two years ago in Paris when Russia defeated France its their first Davis Cup title.
Tarpischev was later asked, which was sweeter, this first Fed Cup title or that Davis Cup triumph in 2002? He answered, “If I had to measure joy, I can tell you definitely I feel more relieved and fatigued from this Fed Cup.”
Russia becomes the tenth different nation in the history of the competition to lift the Fed Cup trophy, and their triumph caps a dream year after three Russian women secured Grand Slam titles.
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發表於 2004-11-28 03:25:10
