Serena and Venus Williams help give the US a victory over Sweden in Fed Cup

Serena Williams in action against Sofia Arvidsson, of Sweden, during a Fed Cup World Group tennis match, Sunday, April 21, 2013. PHOTO/Richard Graulich/AP

Venus and Serena Williams lifted the USA past Sweden and back into the main Fed Cup World Group on Sunday.

First, top-ranked Serena defeated Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-1 to give the USA a 2-1 lead, then Venus Williams clinched an insurmountable 3-1 lead with a 6-3, 7-5 win against Johanna Larsson.

Venus, ranked 22nd in the world, was substituted for 16th-ranked Sloane Stephens.

In the first set, Serena Williams struggled while serving the third game into the sun. She yielded Arvidsson three break points — the only break point chances the Swede had — but Williams managed to win the game.

In the second set, the 54th-ranked Arvidsson held serve once, in the sixth game. It was too late by then.

The USA earns a spot in the 2014 Fed Cup World Group competition, and Sweden is relegated to 2014 World Group II action.

Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press