Belgium storm into Fed Cup final

Kim Clijsters powered Belgium into their second Fed Cup final on Sunday with a comfortable 6-0, 6-1 win over American teenager Vania King.

The Belgians now meet Italy in September's final.

Playing without French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, Belgium took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the best of five match semi-final to give them a first Fed Cup victory over the US in five attempts. The match ended 4-1.

Clijsters, the world number two and US Open champion, crushed her 17-year-old opponent, ranked 79th in the world, with a 55-minute exhibition of power tennis.

Clijsters, who had struggled to beat hard-hitting Jamea Jackson on Saturday, was in total command on the indoor hard court on Sunday.

"We had an ideal situation, leading 2-0 after day one, so it was down to me to finish it off. It went a lot better than yesterday," Clijsters told a rapturous 5,000-strong crowd before the Belgian team did a lap of honour, spraying champagne on court.

The US, without both the Williams sisters and Lindsay Davenport, all injured, had expected to field Jill Craybas for the reverse singles, but captain Zina Garrison decided to give a match to all four team members after going two down on Saturday.

Kirsten Flipkens, local hero on day one after beating Craybas, claimed a fourth point for Belgium when opponent Mashona Washington pulled out with a strained knee. The American had been leading 6-2, 1-3.

But Craybas and King then teamed up to beat Caroline Maes and Leslie Butkiewicz 6-1, 6-2 and salvage a point for the US.