Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated fellow former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic 6-2 2-6 6-4 to pull four-time champions Russia level with Serbia in their Fed Cup semi-final in Moscow.
Ivanovic went into the rubber leading her opponent 6-2 in previous encounters, but crucially it was Kuznetsova who won their only Fed Cup match-up in 2010 and her liking for the tournament continued on Saturday.
The winner of the semi-final will likely face holders Czech Republic in November’s final after the Czechs opened a 2-0 lead over Italy in Ostrava.
Jelena Jankovic had beaten Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 6-3 earlier on Saturday to put Serbia 1-0 up.
“I lost three of my previous meetings with Nastia (Pavlyuchenkova) on hardcourts,” Jankovic said.
“But this time we played in red clay and though the court was not perfect it fits my tennis better than any other surface.”
Lucie Safarova and Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova handed holders Czech Republic a 2-0 lead over Italy in their semi-final.
Safarova, the world number 23, beat 12th-ranked Francesca Schiavone, the former French Open winner, 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 before world number three Kvitova saw off Sara Errani 6-4 6-3.
“This point was very important for us. Leading 2-0 after day one is an excellent result and it will definitely give us a boost, but we need one more point,” said Kvitova, who faces Schiavone in the first reverse singles on Sunday.
The Czechs beat Russia 3-2 in Moscow last November to win their first Fed Cup trophy since their country split with Slovakia in 1993.
In the World Group play-offs, where the winners will play in the elite division next season, the USA took a 2-0 lead over Ukraine, Japan led Belgium 2-0, Spain and Slovakia were locked at 1-1 while Australia opened a 2-0 lead over Germany.
In Kharkiv, 13-time Grand Slam title winner Serena Williams, playing a Fed Cup tie on foreign soil for the first time since 1999, eased past 17-year-old Elina Svitolina 6-2 6-1.
“It was a tough match against a strong opponent,” said Williams, who needed to play this match to ensure her place at the Olympics having skipped the tournament for five seasons until this year.
Speaking about her Olympics prospects, Williams, who now has a 7-0 singles record in the Fed Cup, said: “I’m set to go to London in July and I’m out to win a gold medal there.”
In Saturday’s opening rubber Christina McHale put the US 1-0 ahead with a 6-1 4-6 6-3 win over Lesia Tsurenko.
Ayumi Morita and Kimiko Date-Krumm gave Japan a 2-0 lead over Belgium in Tokyo.
The 22-year-old Morita, ranked 83rd in the world, secured a 6-4 6-4 win over teenager Alison van Uytvanck before Date-Krumm, the former world number four, defeated Tamaryn Hendler 6-1 6-4.
Belgium were handicapped by missing former world number one Kim Clijsters and the country’s highest-ranked player Yanina Wickmayer.
Spain and Slovakia shared the spoils in Marbella after the first day.
Dominika Cibulkova gave the visitors an early lead, beating Lourdes Dominguez-Lino 6-3 6-0 before Silvia Soler-Espinosa caused an upset winning 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 against Daniela Hantuchova.
US Open winner Samantha Stosur and Jarmila Gajdosova put Australia 2-0 up against Germany in Stuttgart.
Stosur, ranked fifth in the world, saw off Angelique Kerber 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 before Gajdosova, 50th in the world, stunned Julia Goerges, the world number 16 6-4 6-4.
