PRAGUE — The Czech Republic and Russia were tied at 1-1 after the opening matches in the Fed Cup final on Saturday as Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova each notched victories.
Kvitova, the Czech No.1, got off to a nervous start against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the opening match, committing 15 unforced errors to help the Russian take the first set 6-2.
The two-time Wimbledon champion settled down after the break and stormed back to grab the next two sets 6-1, 6-1 with the Russian double-faulting on match point.
In the second singles, the world number four Sharapova, playing in her first Fed Cup final, beat Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-4, rekindling Russian hopes of winning a first Fed Cup title since 2008.