U.S. beats Belarus to win its 18th Fed Cup title

MINSK, BELARUS » A 17-year championship drought came to an end Sunday for the United States when it beat Belarus 3-2 to take its 18th Fed Cup title.

CoCo Vandeweghe and Shelby Rogers defeated Aryna Sabalenka and Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the deciding doubles of the 2017 final. It was the first Fed Cup title for the U.S. since 2000.

“It feels perfectly believable and unbelievable,” Vandeweghe said. “I’m ready for a vacation.”

The Belarus pair led 5-2 in the second set and served to level at one-set apiece in the eighth, 10th and 12th games. The Americans dominated the tiebreaker, winning five of the last six points.

Sasnovich had kept Belarus alive after beating U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens 4-6, 6-1, 8-6 to leave the final level at 2-2 on the indoor hard-court Chizhovka Arena.

Vandeweghe earlier beat Sabalenka 7-6 (5), 6-1 to give the U.S. a 2-1 lead.

Kathy Rinaldi, in her inaugural season in charge of the Americans, became the first female captain in the tournament to lead a Fed Cup team to victory since Billie Jean King for the U.S. in 2000.

“It’s been an incredible ride thanks to these ladies,” Rinaldi said. “We’re family and we’ve had each other’s backs. This was a very tough match.”

The U.S. holds the most Fed Cup titles in the international team competition. This was its fourth Fed Cup final since last winning in 2000. It lost the 2003, 2009 and 2010 finals.

SERGEI GRITS — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The U.S. team celebrates during the awarding ceremony after winning the Fed Cup final match with Belarus.