U.S. Cruises, Russia, France Struggle in Fed Cup Opening Play

Italy tied with Russia 1-1

Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev pays for choosing the inexperienced Dinara Safina over Top 15 players Elena Bovina or Nadia Petrova, with Marat's little sis falling in a nervous exhibition 7-5, 6-3 to Francesca Schiavone.

"When I was told yesterday that I would play, I first thought 'Wow, cool' but then it began to sink in," said Safina, who has been criticized by brother Marat at times for not training hard enough. "After the first set I was a bit tired and down but I continued to fight all the time."

Veteran Elena Dementieva then evened the tie for Russia with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Tathiana Garbin in an ugly match featuring 13 breaks of serve.

"This match was not so simple," Dementieva said. "I made some mistakes. This is only my fourth day playing on the clay and my first match on this surface this season. I was not completely ready but tomorrow, against Schiavone, I will be."

U.S. Leads Belgium 2-0

Lindsay Davenport smokes Eveline Vanhyfte 6-0, 6-2, and Venus Williams defeats Els Callens 6-2, 6-2 to give the U.S. the easy 2-0 lead. Venus double-faulted twice to drop serve in her opening service game but eventually calmed down. "I just felt I had a little too many errors, and she definitely hadn't gotten her rhythm," Williams said.

Spain Leads Argentina 2-0

The home crowd Spaniards have forced Argentina to run the table Sunday, jumping out to a 2-0 lead Saturday behind wins by Anabel Medina-Garrigues, who defeated Maria-Emelia Salerni 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, and Nuria Llagostera Vives who earlier posted an identical 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Gisela Dulko in her Fed Cup debut.

France tied with Austria 1-1

France saw their 2005 Fed Cup hopes dwindle Saturday when former No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo pulled from the event with abdominal pains. That hope became more desperate when the French found themselves trailing 0-1 in the tie when Austria's unheralded Yvonne Meusburger upset a tight world No. 15 Nathalie Dechy 7-6(3), 6-2.

"I don't really know why I played so badly today," said Dechy after a performance featuring a slew of nervous unforced errors. "I know she (Meusburger) is a long way below me in the rankings, but tennis isn't mathematics."

Actually it can be if you use the equation Dechy + choke = loss.

Fortunately for the French, Virginie Razzano stepped off the bench to even things up at 1-1, defeating 14-year-old Austrian Tamira Paszek 6-3, 6-3.

"It's not as easy as people might think playing against a young, unknown player," Razzano said. "We had also lost the first match so that's the kind of thing that can make you nervous. I just tried to concentrate on my game."

Unexplained is why French captain Georges Goven went with Dechy instead of the hot-handed Mary Pierce, who is only slated to play in the doubles Sunday.

"I'm still confident -- I have to be," Goven said. "Nathalie may have lost today, but I have a good team and I don't think they will play badly in the remaining matches."