1996 Fed Cup World Group
{{Short description|Part of tennis tournament}}
{{main|1996 Fed Cup}}
{{Infobox tennis tournament year|1996|Fed Cup World Group
| date=27 April – 29 September
| edition=6th
| champ={{fed-big|USA}}
| main_name=Fed Cup
}}
The World Group was the highest level of Fed Cup competition in 1996. Eight nations competed in a three-round knockout competition. Spain was the three-time defending champion, but they were defeated in the final by the finalist from the last two years, the United States, who captured their fifteenth title.
Participating teams
| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;" |
| colspan=4|Participating teams |
|---|
| style="width:25%;"| {{fed-big|ARG}}
!style="width:25%;"| {{fed-big|AUT}} !style="width:25%;"| {{fed-big|FRA}} !style="width:25%;"| {{fed-big|GER}} |
| {{fed-big|JPN}}
! {{fed-big|RSA}} ! {{fed-big|ESP}} ! {{fed-big|USA}} |
Draw
{{8TeamBracket-info
| RD1-date=27–28 April
| RD2-date=13–14 July
| RD3-date=28–29 September
|teamwidth=16
| RD1T1-loc=Murcia, Spain (Outdoor clay)
| RD1-seed1=1 | RD1-team1={{fed|ESP}} | RD1-score1=3
| RD1-seed2= | RD1-team2={{fed|RSA}} | RD1-score2=2
| RD1T2-loc=Amiens, France (Outdoor clay)
| RD1-seed3= | RD1-team3={{fed|ARG}} | RD1-score3=2
| RD1-seed4=3 | RD1-team4={{fed|FRA}} | RD1-score4=3
| RD1T3-loc=Tokyo, Japan (Indoor hard)
| RD1-seed5=4 | RD1-team5={{fed|GER}} | RD1-score5=2
| RD1-seed6= | RD1-team6={{fed|JPN}} | RD1-score6=3
| RD1T4-loc={{nowrap|Salzburg, Austria (Outdoor clay)}}
| RD1-seed7= | RD1-team7={{fed|AUT}} | RD1-score7=2
| RD1-seed8=2 | RD1-team8={{fed|USA}} | RD1-score8=3
| RD2T1-loc={{nowrap|Bayonne, France (Indoor carpet)}}
| RD2-seed1=1 | RD2-team1={{fed|ESP}} | RD2-score1=3
| RD2-seed2=3 | RD2-team2={{fed|FRA}} | RD2-score2=2
| RD2T2-loc=Nagoya, Japan (Indoor carpet)
| RD2-seed3= | RD2-team3={{fed|JPN}} | RD2-score3=0
| RD2-seed4=2 | RD2-team4={{nowrap|{{fed|USA}}}} | RD2-score4=5
| RD3T1-loc={{nowrap|Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States (Indoor carpet)}}
| RD3-seed1=1 | RD3-team1={{fed|ESP}} | RD3-score1=0
| RD3-seed2=2 | RD3-team2={{fed|USA}} | RD3-score2=5
}}
First round
=Spain vs. South Africa=
{{FedCupbox
|team1=Spain
|team2=South Africa
|venue=Murcia Tennis Club, Murcia, Spain
|date=27–28 April 1996
|surface=Red clay (outdoors)
|score1=3
|score2=2
|R1={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |6 |6 | |T2P1=Joannette Kruger |3 |1 | }}
|R2={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Conchita Martínez |7 |6 | |T2P1=Amanda Coetzer |5 |3 | }}
|R3={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |4 |1 | |T2P1=Amanda Coetzer |6 |6 | }}
|R4={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Conchita Martínez |6 |6 | |T2P1=Mariaan de Swardt |2 |3 | }}
|R5={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Virginia Ruano Pascual |T1P2=María Sánchez Lorenzo |4 |6.055 | |T2P1=Amanda Coetzer |T2P2=Mariaan de Swardt |6 |7 | }}
}}
=Argentina vs. France=
{{FedCupbox
|team1=Argentina
|team2=France
|venue=Amiens Coliseum, Amiens, France
|date=27–28 April 1996
|surface=Red clay (outdoors)
|score1=2
|score2=3
|R1={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Florencia Labat |6 |6 | |T2P1=Nathalie Tauziat |3 |4 | }}
|R2={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Paola Suárez |4 |6.065 | |T2P1=Julie Halard-Decugis |6 |7 | }}
|R3={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Florencia Labat |4 |1 | |T2P1=Julie Halard-Decugis |6 |6 | }}
|R4={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Paola Suárez |7 |6 | |T2P1=Nathalie Tauziat |6.045 |1 | }}
|R5={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Florencia Labat |T1P2=Patricia Tarabini |2 |4 | |T2P1=Julie Halard-Decugis |T2P2=Nathalie Tauziat |6 |6 | }}
}}
=Germany vs. Japan=
{{FedCupbox
|team1=Germany
|team2=Japan
|venue=Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan
|date=27–28 April 1996
|surface=DecoTurf (indoors)
|score1=2
|score2=3
|R1={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Anke Huber |6 |4 |1|T2P1=Kimiko Date |4 |6 |6 }}
|R2={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Steffi Graf |6 |6 | |T2P1=Naoko Sawamatsu |1 |3 | }}
|R3={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Steffi Graf |6.065 |6 |10 |T2P1=Kimiko Date |7 |3 |12 }}
|R4={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Anke Huber |6 |4 |6 |T2P1=Naoko Sawamatsu |4 |6 |2 }}
|R5={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Steffi Graf |T1P2=Anke Huber |6 |3 |3 |T2P1=Kyōko Nagatsuka |T2P2=Ai Sugiyama |4 |6 |6 }}
}}
=Austria vs. United States=
{{FedCupbox
|team1=Austria
|team2=United States
|venue=Hellbrunn Stadium, Salzburg, Austria
|date=27–28 April 1996
|surface=Red clay (outdoors)
|score1=2
|score2=3
|R1={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Judith Wiesner |3 |6.045 | |T2P1=Mary Joe Fernández |6 |7 | }}
|R2={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Barbara Paulus |6 |6 | |T2P1=Jennifer Capriati |2 |4 | }}
|R3={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Barbara Paulus |3 |6.035 | |T2P1=Mary Joe Fernández |7 |7 | }}
|R4={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Judith Wiesner |6 |6 | |T2P1=Jennifer Capriati |1 |1 | }}
|R5={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Petra Schwarz |T1P2=Judith Wiesner |0 |4 | |T2P1=Gigi Fernández |T2P2=Mary Joe Fernández |6 |6 | }}
}}
Semifinals
=Spain vs. France=
{{FedCupbox
|team1=Spain
|team2=France
|venue=Lauga Hall, Bayonne, France
|date=13–14 July 1996
|surface=Supreme carpet (indoors)
|score1=3
|score2=2
|R1={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Conchita Martínez |1 |6 |6 |T2P1=Julie Halard-Decugis |6 |4 |2 }}
|R2={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |3 |4 | |T2P1=Mary Pierce |6 |6 | }}
|R3={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Conchita Martínez |7 |6 | |T2P1=Mary Pierce |5 |1 | }}
|R4={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |6 |4 |5 |T2P1=Julie Halard-Decugis |2 |6 |7 }}
|R5={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Conchita Martínez |T1P2=Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |6 |2 | |T2P1=Julie Halard-Decugis |T2P2=Nathalie Tauziat |4 |1 | |re2=2}}
}}
=Japan vs. United States=
{{FedCupbox
|team1=Japan
|team2=United States
|venue=Rainbow Hall, Nagoya, Japan
|date=13–14 July 1996
|surface=Supreme carpet (indoors)
|score1=0
|score2=5
|R1={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Kimiko Date |2 |1 | |T2P1=Lindsay Davenport |6 |6 | }}
|R2={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Ai Sugiyama |2|2| |T2P1=Monica Seles |6 |6 | }}
|R3={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Kimiko Date |0 |2 | |T2P1=Monica Seles |6 |6 | }}
|R4={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Ai Sugiyama |6.075 |5 | |T2P1=Lindsay Davenport |7 |7 | }}
|R5={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Kyōko Nagatsuka |T1P2=Ai Sugiyama |2 |1 | |T2P1=Lindsay Davenport |T2P2=Linda Wild |6 |6 | }}
}}
Final
=Spain vs. United States =
{{FedCupbox
|team1=Spain
|team2=United States
|venue=Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
|date=28–29 September 1996
|surface=Supreme carpet (indoors)
|score1=0
|score2=5
|R1={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Conchita Martínez |2 |4 | |T2P1=Monica Seles |6 |6 | }}
|R2={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |5 |1 | |T2P1=Lindsay Davenport |7 |6 | }}
|R3={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |6 |3 |1 |T2P1=Monica Seles |3 |6 |6 }}
|R4={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Gala León García |5 |2 | |T2P1=Lindsay Davenport |7 |6 | }}
|R5={{ TennisMatch3 |T1P1=Gala León García |T1P2=Virginia Ruano Pascual |1 |4 | |T2P1=Mary Joe Fernández |T2P2=Linda Wild |6 |6 | }}
|}}
{{winners-other|1996 Fed Cup Champions|United States|United States|Fifteenth}}
References
{{reflist}}