Tennis

Fed Cup: Russia advances with 3-2 win over Spain

Published Feb. 5, 2012 1:06 p.m. ET

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Russia advanced to the Fed Cup World Group semifinals with a 3-2 win over Spain on Sunday in their first-round series.

Svetlana Kuznetsova clinched the victory with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win against Silvia Soler-Espinosa in the second reverse singles.

Maria Sharapova and Kuznetsova easily won their opening singles matches on Saturday, but Carla Suarez Navarro narrowed the gap when she routed Nadia Petrova 6-0, 6-3 in the first reverse singles on the hard court at the Olympic indoor stadium.

Nuria Llagostera Vives and Arantxa Parra Santonja won the doubles match for Spain when the Russian duo of Kuznetsova and Petrova retired because of Kuznetsova's fatigue.

Russia will host either Belgium or Serbia in the semifinals on April 21-22.

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