Lindsay Davenport defeated Elena Likhovtseva 6-4 6-4 yesterday to give the United States an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the 1999 Fed Cup final against Russia at Stanford University in California.

The victory by the world number two player rendered the remaining two matches, a singles between American Venus Williams and Russian Elena Dementieva and the doubles between Venus and Serena Williams against Dementieva and Elena Makarova, meaningless.

On Saturday, Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport took the United States to a comfortable 2-0 lead.

Playing in front of a sold-out but fairly muted crowd of 3,955, the world number three Williams began the best-of-five tie by beating world number 17 Elena Likhovtseva 6-3 6-4. Then Davenport defeated 17-year-old Elena Dementieva 6-4 6-0.

US captain Billie Jean King was irked that the crowd didn't cheer more loudly for her "Dream Team," which features defending Wimbledon champion Davenport, Venus Williams, recently crowned US Open champion Serena Williams and nine-time Grand Slam titlist Monica Seles.

"I just wish we could get the Americans to get into it the way other countries do," King said.

Venus Williams was so confident that she would win her match that she chose to work on aspects of her game.

For her part, Likhovsteva wasn't too impressed with Williams's attack, even though she has never beaten Williams before.

"It could have been a little bit better from my side because I overrated Venus," Likhovsteva said. "I thought she would play a little better than she played."

Davenport had a difficult tussle in the first set against 17-year-old Dementieva, whose low, hard groundstrokes had the tall Davenport tripping all over herself. But in the second set, the powerful Californian found her range and blew the cover off the ball.