Spain cruise past China to reach Fed Cup final
Sunday, 27 Apr 2008 11:43
Spain win easily in Shanghai
Spain have made it through to the final of the Fed Cup after opening up a 3-0 lead against China in Beijing.
The five-times champions made an impressive start to their semi-final tie, with 19-year-old Carla Suarez-Navarro pulled off a shock victory over world number 68 Peng Shuai 6-3 7-6.
And the dominance continued, with Nuria Llagostera beating the same player 6-4 6-4 to give her country an unassailable 3-0 lead at the International tennis Centre.
Llagostera raced to victory in just one hour and 34 minutes, breaking Peng in the third game of the match, allowing her to go on to comfortably take the first set.
While the Chinese player showed determination in the second set, managing to break back after being broken herself to make it 2-2, the Spaniard showed resolve and achieved a crucial break of serve to make it 4-3.
She then held her nerve in front of the large crowd to guarantee Spain a Fed Cup final place, where they will play either the United States or Russia.
The result also means that no Asian team has ever reached the final round of the competition.
The win caps an excellent week for Spanish tennis, with world number two Rafael Nadal having booked himself a place in the final of the Monte Carlo masters, where he will face Swiss rival Roger Federer.