Sonay Kartal ground her way to victory over Eva Vedder to give Great Britain a 1-0 lead over the Netherlands in Billie Jean King Cup qualifying.
World number 60 Kartal let the second set slip from her grasp but recovered to beat Vedder 6-4 4-6 6-1 on the clay in The Hague.
The winner of the best-of-three tie will advance to September's eight-team finals in Shenzhen, China.
British number one Katie Boulter can seal Great Britain's place if she beats Suzan Lamens in the second singles match, before Olivia Nicholls and Harriet Dart face Lamens and Demi Schuurs in the doubles.