Whether it was Elena Dementieva, Anastasia Myskina or even teen-age rookie Dinara Safina, their balanced exertions tilted the Federation Cup's possession to Moscow once again as Franco-Russo domination of the women's team championship continued. Five of the last 7 Finals have contained either one or the other.

For the second successive year the tense, exciting 3-2 title round decision was uncertain until the last point of the last match, taken by Dementieva and 19-year-old Safina, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, over Amelie Mauresmo and Mary Pierce. Moreover the talent-rich Russians won their first and second Cups minus the presence of their foremost ranked, No. x Maria Sharapova.

One year before, the Cup was also at stake in the concluding doubles, won by the Russians Myskina and Vera Zvonareva over Marion Bartoli and Emilie Loit. That was before a loud and adoring crowd in Moscow. This time, however, during a chilly, windy September weekend, it was a downer for the throng of 15,171 filling Stade Roland Garrros in Paris, one of the largest crowds in the history of the 42-year-old Cup, sponsored by BNP Paribas.

As formidable as those two teams were, an aching back may have cost Capt. Zina Garrison's team the first U.S. Cup since 2000. A routine 5-0 victory over Belgium had lifted the Americans to the semifinals against Russia at Moscow. It appeared that the U.S. would be extremely imposing, braced by the towering Wimbledon one-two punch of champ Venus Williams and finalist Lindsay Davenport. However, Davenport's back difficulties prevented her from playing, and the team felt her pain while losing, 4-1.

Even so, the Americans started hopefully and strongly, but both Venus and rookie Mashona Washington (replacing Davenport) faltered indoors on the clay of Olympic Stadium as their matches progressed. Myskina hung in to find her form and stop Venus, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2. Then Mashona couldn't improve on a 5-1 lead, and lost to Dementieva, 7-5, 6-4.

The next day Venus prolonged her team's chances, blasting Dementieva, 6-1, 6-2, improving her Cup singles record to 11-2. But Myskina was up for the clincher, 6-2, 6-4, over Jill Craybas, a stand-in for Washington. Although it was Capt. Garrison's hunch that Craybas, a recent Wimbledon victor over Serena Williams, could replicate that form, Myskina was too tough.

Incidentally, Safina, who joined Vera Douchevina for the meaningless, 6-1, 7-5, win over another rookie, Corina Morariu, and Venus, had a rare something in common with Mashona. Each has an older brother who also played for their country: Marat Safin of the victorious 2002 Davis Cup team, and MaliVai Washington, a Davis Cupper (years pls). The only other such combination for the U.S. were Texans Nancy and Cliff Richey, she a winning Wightman Cupper (years pls) and he sparking the Davis Cup winners of 1970.

Romping in the first round, Russia beat Italy, 4-1 and France eliminated Austria, 4-1. In their semi on a home hard court at Aix en Provence, the French breezed through Spain, 3-1, seizing the first 3 matches in 6 sets: Mauresmo over Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-4, 6-3, and sandwiching the clincher, 6-3, 6-1, over Nuria Llagostera Vives around Pierce's 6-4, 6-4 [adam -- pls check that score], win over Llagostera Vives. Mauresmo thereby scored the vital third point for the sixth time.

For Dementieva the Cup was a long-awaited treat. She'd been been among the final round losers to the U.S. in 1999 and Belgium in 2001, and was sidelined by injuries in 2004. But now she was preminently ready to be a tripler, her right hand outstanding in all 3 Russian points, doing double duty in the last gasp engagement.

She led off, 7-6 (get breaker score pls), 2-6, 6-1 over Pierce, a most satisfying result, reversing her U.S. Open semifinal defeat a few days before. An irresistible stretch run past Mauresmo, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, sent the Russians ahead, 2-1, ending Amelie's Cup run of 15 straight singles.

However, Myskina, the star of the semifinal victory over the U.S., as well as scoring a triple in the 2004 Final, couldn't hold off Pierce, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, even though leading 4-1 in the second, and it became best-of-one: the doubles. Anastasia was delighted that her good friend Dementieva not only came through - but took her off the hook. On the court where she won the 2004 French Open, over Dementieva, Anastasia was beaten the first day by Mauresmo, 6-4, 6-2, and on the second by Pierce.

With the score knotted at 2-2, Dementieva was called on by Capt. Shamil Tarpishev to return to the court, substituting for Douchevina, 18, in the Cup-settler. Apparently he didn't want to rely on a pair of teen-age novitiates in that crucial setting. With Dementieva, 23, as the steadying influence, she and Safina overcame a few flutters in the wild third set to beat Mauresmo and Pierce in 1:47 at nightfall.

A French run of 7 games, capturing the second set and Safina's serve to start the third, elated the gallery. But the Russians broke Mauresmo to 1-1, and again for a 4-2 lead. The French retaliated through Dementieva, only to drop Pierce's serve from 30-all to 5-3 as Elena, then Dinara smacked forehand winners. Dinara served it out.

And out of town went the Russians, taking the Cup with them.