P – Christina McHale and Serena Williams gave the United States a 2-0 lead over a Belarus side missing world No.1 Victoria Azarenka on Saturday in their Fed Cup World Group-II tie.
McHale opened the best-of-five tie at Worcester in Massachusetts with a 6-0 6-4 victory over Anastasia Yakimova, a late replacement for newly-minted Australian Open champion and top-ranked Azarenka.
Azarenka pulled out complaining of lower back pain, which she said was exacerbated by the journey from Australia. But she is eligible to play on Sunday.
Williams then put the Americans up 2-0 with a 7-5 6-0 victory over Olga Govortsova.
The winners of the World Group-II tie will advance to the World Group Playoff for a chance to reach the elite group and compete for the Fed Cup title in 2013.
The United States have won the women’s nations competition a record 17 times and are playing in the World Group-II for the first time.
Belarus are trying to get beyond the World Group-II and into the elite World Group for the first time.