SOCHI, Russia — Germany's Andrea Petkovic beat Svetlana Kuznetsova in straight sets Sunday to reduce Russia's lead over Germany to 2-1 in their Fed Cup semifinal.
Petkovic hit 20 winners as she won 6-2, 6-1, while Kuznetsova struggled, landing fewer than half of her first serves.
To reach the final for a second successive year, Germany must still win the final two rubbers, with Angelique Kerber facing Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova before a doubles match pits Kerber and Petkovic against Elena Vesnina and Vera Zvonareva.
German captain Barbara Rittner entered Petkovic and Kerber as overnight replacements for the reverse singles in place of Sabine Lisicki and Julia Goerges.