France seal Fed Cup win

France clinched the 2003 Fed Cup with a convincing 4-1 win over the United States in Moscow yesterday.

Victory was sealed when the French took an unassailable 3-0 lead as Amélie Mauresmo beat Meghann Shaughnessy, 6-2, 6-1.

Mauresmo and her team-mate, Mary Pierce, had laid the foundations for the French victory on Saturday. Mauresmo won the opening match of the final against Lisa Raymond, while Pierce accounted for Shaughnessy.

With victory already secure after Mauresmo's win, Pierce sat out her return singles match, as did Raymond for the States. Instead, Emilie Loit beat Alexandra Stevenson to complete a clean sweep of the singles for the French, triumphing 6-4, 6-2.

The Americans did salvage some honour in the doubles though, winning 6-4, 6-0. Martina Navratilova, who first played in the Fed Cup in 1975, and Raymond easily overcame Loit and Stephanie Cohen-Aloro.