Was slow clay going to pose any major problems for the USA team? In theory, it could have been slightly tougher for the USA team, who prefer quicker surfaces to enhance the strength of their groundstrokes. But these girls have great credentials on the clay. Monica Seles, in her hey day, was known as the premier clay courter in the world, having won three French Open championships in a row and was right on track for an unprecedented fourth until the unfortunate Hamburg incident. This year, Venus Williams dominated the clay court season, winning back-to-back titles in Hamburg and Rome. And don't forget the stunning display the Williams girls put on in Paris at Roland Garros two months back. The Williams girls won their first Grand Slam doubles trophy on the red clay of the French Open beating another pair of teen queens, Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova, in the finals.
Well, score one for the Italians. After the first day of play, the USA was tied with the Italians 1-1. The Italians scored the unthinkable when 24th ranked Silvia Farina defeated 5th ranked Monica Seles 6-4 4-6 6-4. Granted, Seles was battling tendinitis in her right arm and severe blisters on her left hand which did nothing for her cause. Seles was quickly down 0-4 in the first set and was clearly unsettled by her physical condition. Winning the second set was a real struggle for the veteran champion who needed four match points to take the rubber into a decider. Once again, Seles was down early in the third but fought back to 3-4, only to see Farina frustrate her with pinpoint groundstrokes into the corners to lose the encounter in three. A number of factors made the huge upset an incredible surprise. In the two matches that Farina and Seles had previously played, Farina had been routed in straight sets both times. Even more surprising was that Seles's 10-0 winning streak in Fed Cup singles play had come to an end at the hands of a relatively unknown player.
