For the first time in Fed Cup history, team United States won’t be part of the elite World Group after suffering a 5-0 defeat against Team Germany on Sunday.
The American team was noticeably weak due to the absence of the Williams sisters and won’t be among the Top 8 nations competing for the Fed Cup World Group 2012 season.
Germany’s Andrea Petkovic beat Melanie Oudin in reverse singles on Sunday to secure the country’s victory 3-0. The remaining two matches served as dead rubber but were still staged with the Germans still winning those encounters for a 5-0 whitewash.
“It’s tough to be out of the World Group for the first time, but we just came up against a better team. We did the best we could, we fought for every point and that’s all you can do, do your best on the court,” US captain Mary Joe Fernandez said.
“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,” she added.
