STUTTGART, Germany (AP)—The United States, a record 17-time Fed Cup champion, was relegated from the top-tier World Group on Sunday, failing to win a single point in a 5-0 loss to Germany,
Germany’s decisive win came when Andrea Petkovic beat Melanie Oudin 6-2, 6-3 in the first of the reverse singles for an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the best-of-five semifinal series against a U.S. team playing with out Venus and Serena Williams.
Germany won the last singles match when Sabine Lisicki beat Christina McHale 6-3, 6-4 and Julia Goerges and Anna-Lena Groenefeld completed the sweep with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over Vania King and Liezel Huber in the doubles.
“I never won a clinching match before,” Petkovic said. “I believe that Germany belongs to the top group and I am really pleased that I won the point.
“I am very relieved. It may have looked easy but it wasn’t a given.”
In the semifinals of the World Group, the Czech Republic defeated Belgium in the deciding doubles for a 3-2 victory in Charleroi, Belgium, and Russia completed a 5-0 rout of Italy in Moscow. Russia will host the Czech Republic in the finals Nov. 5-6.
The Americans were Fed Cup runners-up in the last two years, losing both times to Italy, but could not overcome the higher-ranked Germans.
“It’s tough to be out of the World Group for the first time, but we just came up against a better team,” U.S. captain Mary Joe Fernandez said. “We did the best we could, we fought for every point and that’s all you can do, do your best on the court.
“It was a tough weekend but you have to give credit to whole German team, they played great. There were moments, small chances, but there weren’t that many opportunities for us.”
Germany returns to the World Group of the top eight nations.
“I must say the Americans were not at full strength, but the Williams sisters have not played for a while and they were still in the last two finals,” Petkovic said.
Oudin said knowing that the U.S. team would be relegated if she lost was on her mind.
“I tried not to think about it but it was extra weight on my shoulder,” she said.
Watching from the stands in Porsche Arena was Venus Williams, who hasn’t represented the U.S. in four years and was unavailable because of a hip injury.
By appearing in Germany, Williams becomes eligible for the 2012 London Games. Players have to make themselves available for the Fed Cup to play in the Olympics.
Williams has been sidelined since the Australian Open. Serena Williams, who also hasn’t played for the U.S. since 2007, has been sidelined since Wimbledon because of two operations on her foot and a blood clot in her lungs. In addition, the U.S. team lost Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who would have been its top-ranked payer, to a hip injury.
That left 19-year-old Oudin and 18-year-old McHale leading the American team, and both lost their opening singles Saturday.
Petkovic, the highest-ranked player in the tie at No. 19, faced Oudin in the first of Sunday’s reverse singles matches and broke serve for a 3-2 lead and cruised from there in the first set.
The German double-faulted on her first set point, but hit an ace on the second.
Oudin dropped serve in the first game of the second set, then double-faulted to go down 3-0.
The American lost the next game too, before winning the next three. But Petkovic did not allow the match to slip away and hit a forehand return winner to seal Germany’s victory.
“I was really on the run for seven, eight games, I was feeling the ball well but you have to mix it up with her,” Petkovic said. “I was playing clever, opening up the court.”
Oudin said Petkovic was more comfortable with the court surface.
“I definitely started well but, after I lost my serve the first time, she took her game to another level,” Oudin said. “Also, it’s my first week on red clay while she grew up on it.”
Julia Goerges and Anna-Lena Groenefeld beat Vania King and Liezel Huber 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the doubles.