HAARLEM. Netherlands. Mar 2: The United States trailed 2-1 in its Fed Cup World Group-I match Sunday after Mary Joe-Fernandez lost a marathon final set battle with the Netherlands' Brenda Schultz-McCarthy 1-6. 6-4. 9-7. report agencies.

Fernandez, ranked 14. was resoundingly defeated Saturday by Dutch No. 2 Miriam Oremans 6-1, 6-4.

Chanda Rubin, who won the United States' first point when she defeated Schultz-McCarthy 4-6. 6-4. 6-3 Saturday, must now win her final singles match against Oremans to keep the rubber alive.

If Rubin wins, the pressure will be on Fernandez again as the teams with namesake Gigi Fernandez in the doubles against Schultz-McCarthy and Manon Bollegraf.

Away in Tokyo. Nathalie Tauziat. who had to save match points in both her matches, gave France a first-round Fed Cup victory Sunday, outlasting Japan's Naoko Sawamatsu 7-5. 4-6. 17-15.

The victory, in 4 hours and 5 minutes, gave France an unbeatable 3-1 lead with one doubles match still to play.

In Seoul. Argentina swept both the singles and doubles matches Sunday, defeating South Korea 4-1 after the second day of competition.

In Kosice, Australian Open champion Martina Hingis put Switzerland 1-0 ahead in their World Group-Two first round tie against Slovakia on Saturday.

Hingis, who was born in Kosice 16 years ago. beat Slovak number two Katarina Stu-denlkova 6-1, 6-3 in the open-

ing singles.

"I got a great welcome when I entered the court and it was also great to win." Hingis, who has yet to lose a match this year, added.

Hingis sped through the first set in just 28 minutes after breaking Studenikova in the first game and conceded only the fifth game.

In the second set Hingis lost her serve, broke back, but again lost serve to trail 3-2.

In the sixth game. Studenikova had three points on serve for a 4-2 lead, but Hingis kept her cool to level at 3-3 and went on to win the match.

In Mannheim, little-known teenager Marlene Weingaertner pulled off a surprise victory on her debut to keep Germany in contention in their clash with the Czech Republic.

The 17-year-old Weingaertner beat Ludmila Richterova 3-6. 7-5 6-3, in the opening singles of the World Group-One tie.

In Durban. Australia took a 2-0 stranglehold on their World Group-Two match against hosts South Africa at Westridge Park by winning both the opening singles.