The World Group play-offs were the qualifiers for the highest level of competition in the 2001 Fed Cup and the 2002 Fed Cup.

The first round involved the winners of Zonal Competition from last year (Argentina, Hungary, Japan) being randomly drawn against five teams from the 2000 World Group pools; with the winners were guaranteed a spot in the World Group next year.

Italy 4	Palasport Bassano, Bassano del Grappa, Italy 28–29 April 2001 Greenset Trophy carpet (indoors)		Croatia 1
1 2 3 1 Giulia Casoni Jelena Kostanić 3 6 61 77     2 Adriana Serra Zanetti Silvija Talaja 6 1 6 1     3 Giulia Casoni Matea Mezak 6 2 6 4     4 Adriana Serra Zanetti Jelena Kostanić 6 1 77 65     5 Gloria Pizzichini / Roberta Vinci Matea Mezak / Karolina Šprem 6 1 7 5

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Japan 1	Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan 28–29 April 2001 Plexipave (indoors)		Argentina 4
1 2 3 1 Saori Obata María Emilia Salerni 4 6 2 6     2 Shinobu Asagoe Clarisa Fernández 3 6 6 4 8 10   3 Yuka Yoshida María Emilia Salerni 5 7 0 6     4 Saori Obata Clarisa Fernández 2 6 7 5     retired 5 Rika Hiraki / Yuka Yoshida Laura Montalvo / María Emilia Salerni 4 6 4 6

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Slovakia 4	NTC Stadium, Bratislava, Slovakia 28–29 April 2001 Red clay (outdoors)		Hungary 1
1 2 3 1 Daniela Hantuchová Rita Kuti-Kis 6 4 6 4     2 Henrieta Nagyová Anikó Kapros 4 6 6 2 7 5   3 Henrieta Nagyová Rita Kuti-Kis 2 6 710 68 7 5   4 Daniela Hantuchová Petra Mandula 6 3 6 4     5 Karina Habšudová / Daniela Hantuchová Anikó Kapros / Petra Mandula 2 6 7 5 5 7

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Australia 5	Memorial Drive, Adelaide, Australia 28–29 April 2001 Grass (outdoors)		Austria 0
1 2 3 1 Nicole Pratt Marion Maruska 7 5 6 2     2 Alicia Molik Sylvia Plischke 6 3 1 6 6 0   3 Nicole Pratt Sylvia Plischke 6 4 6 2     4 Alicia Molik Marion Maruska 6 2 6 2     5 Evie Dominikovic / Rachel McQuillan Marion Maruska / Patricia Wartusch 6 4 7 5

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The winners of the first round played off against four other teams from the 2000 World Group pools in the top section, with the winners proceeding to the World Group. The losers of the first round played off against this year's zonal competition winners in the bottom section, with the winners remaining in World Group for next year, and the losers proceeding to Zonal Competition for next year.

Italy 1	Stade Jean Bouloumie, Vittel, France 21–22 July 2001 Greenset hard (outdoors)		France 4
1 2 3 1 Maria Elena Camerin Amélie Mauresmo 4 6 0 6     2 Adriana Serra Zanetti Sandrine Testud 4 6 5 7     3 Adriana Serra Zanetti Amélie Mauresmo 2 6 0 6     4 Maria Elena Camerin Sandrine Testud 3 6 1 6     5 Giulia Casoni / Roberta Vinci Nathalie Dechy / Virginie Razzano 4 6 6 2 6 4

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Argentina 4	Am Rothenbaum, Hamburg, Germany 21–22 July 2001 Red clay (outdoors)		Germany 1
1 2 3 1 María Emilia Salerni Anke Huber 6 4 2 6 1 6   2 Paola Suárez Barbara Rittner 3 6 6 3 6 2   3 Paola Suárez Anke Huber 4 6 6 3 12 10   4 María Emilia Salerni Barbara Rittner 6 2 67 79 6 2   5 Clarisa Fernández / Laura Montalvo Andrea Glass / Bianka Lamade 6 4 5 7 6 2

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Slovakia 2	NTC Stadium, Bratislava, Slovakia 21–22 July 2001 Red clay (outdoors)		Russia 3
1 2 3 1 Henrieta Nagyová Lina Krasnoroutskaya 6 4 6 3     2 Daniela Hantuchová Elena Dementieva 2 6 66 78     3 Henrieta Nagyová Elena Dementieva 3 6 67 79     4 Daniela Hantuchová Elena Likhovtseva 6 1 6 3     5 Karina Habšudová / Henrieta Nagyová Elena Likhovtseva / Nadia Petrova         w/o

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Australia 4	Royal Sydney Golf Course, Sydney, Australia 21–22 July 2001 Grass (outdoors)		Switzerland 1
1 2 3 1 Nicole Pratt Myriam Casanova 6 3 6 1     2 Alicia Molik Daniela Casanova 6 3 6 1     3 Alicia Molik Myriam Casanova 63 77 4 6     4 Nicole Pratt Aliénor Tricerri 6 1 6 2     5 Evie Dominikovic / Rachel McQuillan Daniela Casanova / Aliénor Tricerri 6 3 6 3

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Croatia 4	21–22 July 2001 Clay (outdoors)		Venezuela 1
1 2 3 1 Matea Mezak Milagros Sequera 6 3 3 6 1 6   2 Jelena Kostanić Stephanie Schaer 6 3 6 0     3 Jelena Kostanić Milagros Sequera 4 6 6 1 6 4   4 Matea Mezak Stephanie Schaer 6 4 6 3     5 Sanda Mamić / Karolina Šprem María Virginia Francesa / Milagros Sequera 6 3 4 6 6 3

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Japan 2	21–22 July 2001 Clay (outdoors)		Sweden 3
1 2 3 1 Rika Fujiwara Åsa Carlsson 3 6 1 6     2 Shinobu Asagoe Sofia Arvidsson 3 6 3 6     3 Shinobu Asagoe Åsa Carlsson 0 6 3 6     4 Rika Fujiwara Sofia Arvidsson 4 6 6 4 77 63   5 Rika Hiraki / Yuka Yoshida Åsa Carlsson / Diana Majkić 6 3 6 1

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Hungary 3	21–22 July 2001 Clay (outdoors)		Israel 0
1 2 3 1 Rita Kuti-Kis Anna Smashnova 6 1 4 6 6 2   2 Petra Mandula Tzipora Obziler 6 2 1 6 6 4   3 Petra Mandula Anna Smashnova 6 3 4 6 6 1   4 Zsófia Gubacsi Cheli Bargil       not played 5 Zsófia Gubacsi / Anikó Kapros Tzipora Obziler / Hila Rosen       not played

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Austria 3	21–22 July 2001 Clay (outdoors)		Indonesia 2
1 2 3 1 Barbara Schett Angelique Widjaja 6 1 6 3     2 Barbara Schwartz Wynne Prakusya 6 0 6 1     3 Barbara Schett Wynne Prakusya 6 2 6 0     4 Barbara Schwartz Romana Tedjakusuma 5 7 2 2   retired   5 Marion Maruska / Patricia Wartusch Yayuk Basuki / Wynne Prakusya 1 6 3 6

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• Fed Cup structure