LONDON, July 21: Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne earned Belgium a semifinal showdown with the U.S. after propelling their country to a 5-0 rout of holders Slovakia in the Fed Cup on Sunday.

Despite the absence of their top four players, a depleted American team whitewashed Italy 5-0.

An impressive France trounced five-time champions Spain 4-1 to set up a last-four date with Russia, who whitewashed Slovenia 5-0.

Slovakia limped out of the tournament after world number two Clijsters thrashed Janette Husarova 6-0 6-1 in 40 minutes in Charleroi.

Henin offered little respite to the visitors, demolishing Eva Fislova 6-2, 6-1 while Els Callens and Caroline Maes completed the drubbing.

Missing the services of their leading player, world number nine Daniela Hantuchova, Slovakia relinquished the title they won for the first time in 2002 without winning a set.

It is the second year running that the title holders have been beaten in the quarterfinals. Twelve months ago, 2001 winners Belgium suffered a similar fate at the hands of Italy after Clijsters and Henin ruled themselves out of the tie to concentrate on their individual careers.

While Slovakia were always facing a tall order against a team featuring two of the world’s top three players, Hantuchova’s decision to skip the trip effectively sealed their fate before the contest had started.

Handed the task of spearheading the US campaign in Washington, world number eight Chanda Rubin ensured the 17-time champions a spot in the semifinals when a battling 5-7, 6-4, 6-0 triumph over Francesca Schiavone gave her side a winning 3-0 margin.

Amelie Mauresmo beat Magui Serna 7-5, 6-2 to give 1997 winners France a winning lead over Spain before Stephanie Cohen-Aloro extended the margin to 4-0.

Serna battled to keep Spain alive in the tie after two singles defeats on Saturday and gained an early break against Mauresmo.

The powerful Frenchwoman hit back with two breaks of serve to clinch the first set and completed victory in one hour 37 minutes.

Elena Bovina stepped in for Russian number one Anastasia Myskina to overcome Slovenia’s Katarina Srebotnik 7-6, 6-2 in the day’s opening rubber in Portoroz, giving the Russians an unbeatable 3-0 lead.

With Slovenia playing in the World Group for the first time Srebotnik had engineered her country’s opening round win over Argentina.

But the world number 35, who was beaten by Elena Dementieva on Saturday, was unable to repeat the feat against the talented Russians.

Srebotnik surrendered after an hour and 40 minutes.

The semifinals and final will be played at one venue during the week starting Nov 17.

Collated results:

World Group quarterfinals (best-of-five matches):

At Charleroi, Belgium:

Belgium beat Slovakia 5-0 (Kim Clijsters beat Janette Husarova 6-0, 6-1; Justine Henin-Hardenne beat Eva Fislova 6-2, 6-1; Els Callens/Caroline Maes beat Jarmila Gajdosova/Lubomira Kurhajcova 6-4, 7-5. On Saturday: Henin-Hardenne beat Husarova 7-5, 6-4; Clijsters beat Lubomira Kurhajcova 6-3, 6-1).

At Portoroz, Slovenia:

Russia beat Slovenia 5-0 (Elena Bovina beat Katarina Srebotnik 7-6 (7-4), 6-2; Vera Zvonareva beat Maja Matevzic 6-1, 6-2; Elena Dementieva/Anastasia Myskina beat Srebotnik/Tina Krizan 6-2, 6-3. On Saturday: Anastasia Myskina beat Matevzic 6-4, 6-1; Dementieva beat Srebotnik 6-1, 6-3).

At Oviedo, Spain:

France beat Spain 4-1 (Amelie Mauresmo beat Magui Serna 7-5, 6-2; Stephanie Cohen-Aloro bt Maria Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo 6-3, 6-4; Nathalie Dechy/Emilie Loit lost to Virginia Ruano Pascual/Isabel Medina Garrigues 4-6, 4-6. On Saturday: Dechy beat Magui Serna 6-3, 6-4; Mauresmo beat Sanchez Lorenzo 6-3, 6-3):

At Washington:

US beat Italy 5-0 (Chanda Rubin beat Francesca Schiavone 5-7, 6-4, 6-0; Meghann Shaughnessy beat Rita Grande 6-3, 7-5; Alexandra Stevenson/Lisa Raymond beat Tathiana Garbin/Antonella Serra-Zanetti 6-1, 6-2. On Saturday: Shaughnessy beat Schiavone 6-3, 6-4; Rubin beat Rita Grande 6-3, 6-3).—Reuters/AFP