SURPRISE, Ariz. — A fiesty teenager and a transplanted South African led the way in a comeback victory for the United States over Argentina on Sunday in the first round of the Fed Cup.

Melanie Oudin, a 17-year-old from Marietta, Ga., kept the United States alive by rallying to beat Betina Jozami 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 and tie the best-of-five competition at 2-2.

Then Liezel Huber, born in South Africa but a U.S. citizen since July 2007, teamed with Julie Ditty to beat Jozami and Gisela Dulko 6-2, 6-3 to give the United States the victory 3-2.

"We wanted it to come down to the doubles," U.S. team captain Mary Joe Fernandez said. "When Liezel's on the court I feel really confident every single time."

Huber and her usual partner — Cara Black of Zimbabwe — are the No. 1 ranked doubles team in the world. After the match, Huber took the American flag and paraded it around the court.

"Everybody got to play and everybody gave it their all," Huber said. "It's a proud day in my history book."

Fernandez decided at the last minute to go with the left-handed Ditty rather than Oudin or Jill Craybas. Ditty joined the team only after Bethanie Matteck withdrew on Tuesday because of a nagging hip injury.

"I just did what Liezel told me to do," Ditty said with a laugh.

The triumph at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex in chilly suburban Phoenix sends the United States into a semifinal matchup against the Czech Republic.

Argentina had taken a 2-1 lead in Sunday's' first match when Dulko defeated Craybas 6-1, 6-3 in a meeting of the top two players in the competition.

That left everything on the shoulders of Oudin, who is ranked 151st in the world.

"She really dug deep," Fernandez said. "For someone so young playing in their first Fed Cup when it's all on the line there — she had to win to stay in it — she really came through."

Oudin acknowledged that she felt the pressure of having the team's fate left up to her.

"I think that going into the match I was thinking about it a little bit too much and that's why I don't think I started off too well," she said. "But after the first set, I mean I knew I could beat her and I knew I could play better than that."




© Copyright Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.