Chanda Rubin and Meghann Shaughnessy showed America's strength in depth as the United States completed a 5-0 whitewash against Italy in Washington DC.

The win set up a Fed Cup semi-final clash with Belgium as the USA reached the last four for the first time in three years.

Victory was sealed for the Americans when Rubin outfoxed Francesca Schiavone 5-7 6-4 6-0 in the third rubber to give the home team an unassailable 3-0 lead.

And the rout was completed when Shaughnessy won her dead rubber with Rita Grande 6-3 7-5 and Lisa Raymond and Alexandra Stevenson, who replaced Rubin, won the doubles in straight sets against Antonella Serra Zanetti and Tathiana Garbin.

With the Williams sisters missing through injury, US captain Billie Jean King was delighted with the performance of her stand-in players.

King said: "We're so fortunate to have this many great women players. It's a fantastic accomplishment by all of them."

In Charleroi, Kim Clijsters was at her ruthless and destructive best as Belgium clinched their place in the last four with a 5-0 whitewash over outgoing champions Slovakia.

The world number two was an emphatic 6-0 6-1 winner over Janette Husarova, to move Belgium into an unassailable 3-0 lead in the best-of-five tie against last year's surprise winners.

Like Clijsters, Justine Henin-Hardenne repeated her feat of Saturday by winning her singles match, this time a comfortable 6-2 6-1 win over Eva Fislova.

Els Callens and Caroline Maes then completed the Slovaks' misery with a 6-4 7-5 triumph in the doubles against Jarmila Gajdosova and Lubomira Kurhajcova.

In the bottom half of the draw, France and Russia will lock horns after both were impressive winners in the last eight.

France beat their hosts Spain 4-1, with Amelie Mauresmo building on a 3-0 overnight lead with victory over Magui Serna 7-5 6-2 in the final singles match.

Spain restored some pride when Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual defeated Nathalie Dechy and Emilie Loit 6-4 6-4, in the dead rubber doubles match.

Russia, leading 2-0 after the first day's play in Portoroz, completed a 5-0 triumph over Slovenia in fine style.

Elena Bovina beat Katarina Srebotnik in the first singles of the day 7-6 (7/4) 6-2, before Vera Zvonareva easily saw off Maja Matevzic 6-1 6-2.

Elena Dementieva and Anastasia Myskina completed the whitewash by winning 6-2 6-3 against Katarina Srebotnik and Tina Pisnik in the doubles.