Seles Rallies Past Spanish Rival, Lifts U.S. To Fed Cup Win

The United States, with Monica Seles providing the decisive victory, is the Fed Cup champion again.

The Americans won the title for the first time since 1990 when Seles beat Spain’s Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the Atlantic City (N.J.) 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 went on to sweep the matches.

Once Seles’ victory assured a U.S. win, Conchita Martinez pulled out of her reverse singles match with Lindsay Davenport, citing a shoulder injury, and was replaced by Gala Leon Garcia.

Davenport defeated Garcia 7-5, 6-2 and then Mary Joe Fernandez and Linda Wild combined to beat Garcia and Virginia Ruano-Pascual 6-1, 6-4 to complete the shutout.

In his first tournament since winning the U.S. Open, Pete Sampras beat unseeded Hendrik Dreekmann of Germany 7-5, 6-2, 6-0 to win the $1 million Swiss Indoor tennis championship in Basel, Switzerland.

“I actually surprised myself,” Sampras said. “I thought I would have a letdown after the U.S. Open, but I didn’t.