Tennis Roundup : United States Beats Spain in Federation Final

The top-seeded United States won the Federation Cup in Tokyo today, beating Spain, 2-0. The title was America’s 13th since the tournament began in 1963.

Playing her last competitive tournament, 34-year-old Chris Evert routed 17-year-old Conchita Martinez 6-3, 6-2.

In the second singles, Martina Navratilova lost the first set but rallied for a 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over 17-year-old French Open champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario on the hard courts of the Ariake Colosseum.

The teams were to play a doubles match later today, but it won’t affect the outcome.

Evert got the United States into the final with a semifinal victory Saturday, defeating Jana Novotna of Czechoslovakia, 6-2, 6-3.

“I was surprised that Evert was too good, without mistakes,” Novotna said. “I played hard every single shot, but had so many mistakes.”

Evert’s victory, combined with Navratilova’s, led the United States over Czechoslovakia, 2-0. Evert has said she will retire from serious competition after the final.

Rain on Saturday had also caused a one-day semifinal delay.

“The Americans were too good and too strong, especially Evert was too good,” Czech captain Jiri Medonos said.

Unseeded Jim Courier upset top-seeded Stefan Edberg of Sweden, 7-6 (8-6), 2-6, 3-6, 6-0, 7-5, to win the final of an indoor tournament at Basel, Switzerland.

“This was by far my best tennis,” Courier said. “It’s an incredible feeling. I took advantage of the fact that Stefan could have played better.”

The match turned when Edberg started the fourth set lethargically and lost in 22 minutes. He saved two match points on his serve in the 12th game of the fifth set, but Courier closed out the 3 1/2-hour match with a topspin forehand lob.

Andre Agassi won his first tournament title in 14 months, beating top-seeded Brad Gilbert, 6-2, 6-1, in the final of a $415,000 tournament at Orlando, Fla.

“It feels pretty good,” said Agassi, who won six tournaments in 1988. “Now maybe people won’t think I had such a bad year.”

Gilbert attempted to pressure the second-seeded Agassi by coming to the net, but the strategy backfired when Agassi’s powerful groundstrokes forced Gilbert into volleying errors.

Sweden’s Niclas Kroon earned his first tournament title, beating Mark Woodforde of Australia, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, in a final at Brisbane, Australia. Woodforde said heat and an upset stomach bothered him.