Fed Cup: Czechs In Charge; US, Japan Surprise

The Czech Republic opened their Fed Cup title defense today with two singles overmatching a worthy Australian team. Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova both registered straight set wins, beating Jarmila Gajdosova and Sam Stosur, respectively, to take a 2-0 lead in the tie held in Ostrava.

In the first match Sunday Kvitova meets Stosur with a chance to put the Aussies away.

The other three first round ties are even at 1-1. Italy and the US were tied after Sara Errani cruised past Jamie Hampton, 6-2, 6-1 before American Varvara Lepchenko stunned Roberta Vinci, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Russia-Japan and Serbia-Slovakia are also 1-1 heading into Sunday’s two singles then doubles.

Saturday Fed Cup Results:
CZECH REPUBLIC leads AUSTRALIA 2-0
Venue: Cez Arena, Ostrava, CZE (hard – indoors)
Petra Kvitova (CZE) d. Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) 76(2) 63
Lucie Safarova (CZE) d. Samantha Stosur (AUS) 76(6) 76(4)
Petra Kvitova (CZE) v Samantha Stosur (AUS)
Lucie Safarova (CZE) v Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS)
Andrea Hlavackova/Lucie Hradecka (CZE) v Ashleigh Barty/Casey Dellacqua (AUS)

ITALY level with USA 1-1
Venue: 105 Stadium, Rimini, ITA (clay – indoors)
Sara Errani (ITA) d. Jamie Hampton (USA) 62 61
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) d. Roberta Vinci (ITA) 26 64 75
Sara Errani (ITA) v Varvara Lepchenko (USA)
Roberta Vinci (ITA) v Jamie Hampton (USA)
Nastassja Burnett/Karin Knapp (ITA) v Liezel Huber/Melanie Oudin (USA)

RUSSIA level with JAPAN 1-1
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Moscow, RUS (hard – indoors)
Maria Kirilenko (RUS) d. Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) 76(3) 64
Ayumi Morita (JPN) d. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 62 62
Maria Kirilenko (RUS) v Ayumi Morita (JPN)
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) v Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN)
Margarita Gasparyan/Elena Vesnina (RUS) v Misaki Doi/Ayumi Morita (JPN)

SLOVAK REPUBLIC level with Serbia 1-1
Venue: Hala “CAIR”, Nis, SRB (hard – indoors)
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 75 62
Vesna Dolonc (SRB) d. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 46 45 ret. (severe cramping)
Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) v Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
Vesna Dolonc (SRB) v Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)
Vesna Dolonc/Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) v Jana Cepelova/Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK)