The United States team won the Fed Cup for the first time since 1990 as Monica Seles provided the decisive victory.
Seles beat Spain's Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 Sunday in the Atlantic City Convention Center.Seles' triumph gave the United States a 3-0 lead in the best-of-5 format designed to determine the top women's tennis team in the world. Spain held the title the last three years. The U.S. team won the other two games played after Seles' win clinched the title.
"This is very special," Seles said. "We all wanted to win this one badly, because of what's happened in the last three years. This was a great time for all of us. We blended together well as a team."
Seles considered the pressure different than in regular tour competition.
"You have much more riding on this because other people are depending on what you do," Seles said. "I'm thrilled. This is the first time I ever did anything big on a team."
Seles' victory assured a U.S. win regardless of the outcome of a subsequent match scheduled between Lindsay Davenport and Conchita Martinez, and a doubles match between the countries. Martinez in fact pulled out of the match with Davenport, citing a shoulder injury, and was replaced by Gala Leon Garcia. Davenport defeated Garcia 7-5, 6-2.
Doubles partners Mary Joe Fernandez and Linda Wild defeated Garcia and Virginia Ruano-Pascual 6-1, 6-4, to complete the 5-0 score for the United States.
Seles, the world's top-ranked player, became stronger as the match progressed. Hitting her two-handed shots with fierce efficiency, Seles wore down Sanchez Vicario, winning nine of the final 10 games.
On Saturday, Seles had given the United States a 1-0 lead by defeating Martinez 6-2, 6-4.
Davenport defeated Sanchez Vicario 7-5, 6-1 Saturday.