Serena Williams beat Lesia Tsurenko 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday to give the United States a 3-0 win over Ukraine and earn them a promotion into the elite Fed Cup World Group in 2013.
Christina McHale then followed with a 7-5, 6-3 against 17-year-old Ukrainian Elina Svitolina while Americans Liezel Huber and Sloane Stephens completed a 5-0 victory with a 6-4, 6-1 win over 19-year-old twins Lyudmyla and Nadiya Kichenok in doubles.
“We’re back in the World Group where we want to be and it feels really good to get two points,” Williams commented. “I had a little bit of a slow start, but I just knew that I could keep fighting. I just want to go out there and be super relaxed. I play better when I’m relaxed.”
In other play off ties, Japan completed a 4-1 win over Belgium as Ayumi Morita gave the host nation an unassailable 3-0 lead with a 75 62 triumph over Tamaryn Hendler.
Japan will return to the World Group for the first time since 2007.
In Spain, Slovak Republic secured their World Group place beating the Spaniards. Following a 6-4, 6-4 win by 17th-ranked Dominika Cibulkova against Spain’s Silvia Soler-Espinosa, world number 20 Daniela Hantuchova won 0-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 against Lourdes Dominguez-Lino after 2 hours 42 minutes to seal the win.
Finally, Australia beat Germany to secure their place as well.
German captain got in Andrea Petkovic for the reverse singles on Sunday after finding her team down 0-2 after the first day. But Petkovic, playing her first match since January, was no match for the US Open champion Sam Stosur, who won 6-4, 6-1.
“I really enjoyed the [crowd’s] support, but I definitely felt the pressure. Of course, you expect a comeback with maybe a little less pressure than Fed Cup, but I’m always expect nothing less than to win, so that was really disappointing,” Petkovic commented.
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