LIEVIN, France --- Georgia teenager Melanie Oudin won her two singles matches to lead the United States to a 4-1 victory over France and secure a spot in the Fed Cup semifinals.
Oudin, of Marietta, Ga., beat Julie Coin 7-6 (3), 6-4 in just more than two hours Sunday to give the Americans an insurmountable 3-0 lead.
The U.S. will next face Russia on April 24-25.
"I was a little nervous in the beginning," Oudin said. "She definitely stepped up her game when she came out on court and served some really great service games. There wasn't much I could do in the beginning, besides staying in there with her."
Pauline Parmentier then beat Christina McHale of the United States 6-4, 6-4 before Liezel Huber and Bethanie Mattek-Sands defeated Stephanie Cohen-Aloro and Alize Cornet 6-2, 6-3 in the doubles.
The 18-year-old Oudin broke Coin in the fifth game of the second set and clinched the match when the Frenchwoman shanked a forehand.
Oudin had saved two break points at 5-5 in the first to force the tiebreaker, where she hit three consecutive winners to close out the set.
"I ended up playing a really good tiebreaker and, after 3-all, some of the best points of the match," Oudin said.
Oudin also beat Parmentier 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday.
Cornet had been scheduled to face Oudin on Sunday but France captain Nicolas Escude decided to replace her with Coin after Cornet acknowledged she struggled with her nerves against Mattek-Sands in the opening singles Saturday. Mattek-Sands rallied from 5-2 down in the first to win in straight sets, giving Cornet her sixth loss in six Fed Cup singles matches.
Both teams were missing their best players. Serena and Venus Williams skipped the event, while France played without Marion Bartoli, Aravane Rezai and Virginie Razzano.
ZAGREB INDOORS: In Zagreb, Croatia, top-seeded Marin Cilic successfully defended his title by beating Michael Berrer, of Germany, in three sets.
The 22-year-old Croatian won 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 in 2 hours, 38 minutes to claim his second title of the year.
SA OPEN: In Johannesburg, third-seeded Feliciano Lopez, of Spain, won his second career ATP Tour title by beating Stephane Robert, of France, 7-5, 6-1 in the final.
Lopez broke in the last game of the first set and then cruised in the second to earn his first title since 2004. The Spaniard never faced a break point but created 12 as he continually pressured Robert on his serve, breaking two more times in the second set.
"It's been six years since my last ATP title, which was also my first, so to win again is very sweet," Lopez said.
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