Russia routs Spain to retain Fed Cup

MADRID: Russia retained its Fed Cup crown here on Sunday to make it four titles in five years when Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to give the visitors an unassailable 3-0 lead over Spain.

Olympic Games bronze medalist Vera Zvonareva and former US Open winner Kuznetsova had set up the win on Saturday in beating Garrigues and Carla Suarez Navarro to establish a 2-0 lead.

Kuznetsova then applied herself to the task once again with gusto to hand Russia the crown and render academic the second reverse singles between Zvonareva and Navarro and the doubles between Nuria Llagostera and Virginia Ruano Pascual and Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova.