MOSCOW, 26 November 2004 — Tatiana Golovin and Nathalie Dechy led holders France to a 5-0 mauling of Spain yesterday to set up a Fed Cup final clash against Russia.
Dechy secured the decisive third point in the first of yesterday’s reverse singles beating Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 6-1 while Golovin saw off Marta Marrero 6-3, 6-4.
Russia made sure of their place in the Saturday-Sunday final here when French Open champion Anastasia Myskina came from a set down to defeat Yvonne Meusberger 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 and give her side an unassailable 3-0 lead over Austria.
France, who led 2-0 overnight, completed their semifinal clean sweep when Marion Bartoli and Emilie Loit beat Virginia Ruano Pascual and Marrero 7-5, 6-2 in the doubles.
At the weekend, France, which went into the semifinal without Amelie Mauresmo and Mary Pierce, will be bidding for a third Fed Cup title to follow victories in 1997 and 2003.
Golovin, 16, left her native Russia at eight months old and is returning to her mother country for the first time this week.
“We did the job and won the matches against Spain. It was hard to play (against Marrero) because we had already won the semifinal but now we will try to get ready for Russia,” said the blonde.
French captain Guy Forget insisted that the Russians, who also boast US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in their line-up, will be a much tougher proposition than the Spaniards.
“The Russians are better, physically, technically, mentally,” said Forget.
France ended Russia’s hopes of reaching the Fed Cup Final last year, upsetting the hosts 3-2 in the semifinals here.
Myskina, the world No. 3, dropped the first set against Austria’s Meusburger, ranked No. 173, and then went through a bad patch in the second set before recovering to win.
In the fourth singles match, Kuznetsova defeated Daniela Kix, a late replacement for Patricia Wartusch, 6-1, 6-1 in 39 minutes.
