AMERICANS DUMP BELARUS TO TAKE 18TH FED CUP TITLE

The United States won i ts 18 th Fed Cup title and the first since 2000 with a 3- 2 win against Belarus on Sunday. CoCo Vandeweghe and Shelby Rogers beat Aryna Sabalenka and Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6- 3, 7- 6 ( 3) in the deciding doubles of the 2017 final. 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. Vandeweghe earlier beat Sabalenka 7- 6 ( 5), 6-1 to give the U. S. a 2-1 lead. The U. S. holds the most Fed Cup titles in the international team competition. Belarus was making its first appearance in a Fed Cup final. In London, one break of serve, and a mini-break, was all Roger Federer needed to win his opening match at the season-ending ATP Finals.