Venus-led team derails Slovenia

The United States will play at Austria in the quarterfinals in July.
PORTOROZ, Slovenia (AP) -- Venus Williams is playing like a major champion these days.
Williams won her seventh straight match Sunday, teaming with Lisa Raymond and Martina Navratilova to lead the United States past Slovenia 4-1 for a berth in the Fed Cup quarterfinals.
After taking just one point in the first two games against Tina Pisnik, Williams won 12 of the last 14 games in a 6-3, 6-1 victory. That gave the Americans a 2-1 lead.
"I didn't get discouraged," Williams said. "I had to settle in and increasingly get my power in. I also started coming to the net more."
Raymond clinched victory in the best-of-five series by rallying to defeat Katarina Srebotnik 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 for a 3-1 edge. Then Raymond and the 47-year-old Navratilova capped the weekend with a 6-1, 1-6, 6-0 win over Srebotnik and Tina Krizan.
Team's calendar
In the quarterfinals July 10-11, first-year captain Zina Garrison and the United States will play at Austria, which eliminated Slovakia 3-2. In 2002, Austria beat the United States in the first round after Jennifer Capriati was kicked off the team by then-captain Billie Jean King.
The United States has won the Fed Cup 17 times, more than any other nation in the event's 40-year history. Last year, the Americans lost the final 4-1 to France. The most recent U.S. Fed Cup title came in 2000.
Sunday's victory also assured the Americans of being in the World Group I next year, when the competition switches to a format similar to the Davis Cup.
In other series, it was: Russia 4, Australia 1; France 5, Germany 0; Spain 3, Switzerland 2; Austria 3, Slovakia 2; Belgium 3, Croatia 2; and Argentina 4, Japan 1. Italy led the visiting Czech Republic 2-1 when play was postponed by rain until Monday.
The other quarterfinal matchups: Belgium vs. Spain, Russia vs. Argentina, and France vs. Italy or Czech Republic.
Won a week ago
Williams is coming off her first tournament title in 14 months, winning on clay at Charleston, S.C., last weekend. Last spring, she strained an abdominal muscle, an injury that hampered her until she cut last season short in July.
Now, though, she's been playing brilliantly and could work her way into contention at the French Open, which starts May 24. She's won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open twice each, but no majors since 2001.
At the start Sunday, Williams appeared bothered by the swirling wind on a sunny day. But once she found her range, Williams was relentless.
"She began in a different rhythm, using a lot of variety, slicing, and maybe I wasn't so focused at the start," Williams said.
On Saturday, Williams put the U.S. team back into the match by beating Srebotnik 6-1, 6-2, after Pisnik upset Raymond 7-5, 7-5.
Unlike Saturday, the conditions were dry this time. But the wind made serving tricky. Pisnik changed pace frequently, trying to take away some of the power from Williams' game with drop shots and lobs. The strategy worked early, but Williams reached a drop shot and put away a winner to break serve and tie it 2-2.
Double fault
Two straight breaks of serve followed. Williams then took advantage of a double-fault by Pisnik and put away another drop shot by the Slovenian to win the game at love on Pisnik's serve for a 5-3 lead. Williams ended the set with a service winner, capturing 15 of the last 16 points.
Williams fired a forehand winner to break serve again for a 2-1 lead in the second set and broke at love for a 4-1 lead. Pisnik then asked for a trainer and went to the locker room to treat a neck problem.
The break didn't bother Williams. Two more double-faults by Pisnik helped Williams set up a match point, and the Slovenian hit a forehand long.
Raymond survived a seesaw match, saving her best tennis for the decisive stage in the final set.
"There was a lot more heart out there than tennis," Raymond said.
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