Russia advanced to the Fed Cup World Group semifinals with a 3-2 win over Spain in the first-round series on Sunday.
Svetlana Kuznetsova secured the host an insurmountable 3-1 lead over Spain, beating Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the second reverse singles.
Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova easily won their opening singles on Saturday, but Carla Suarez Navarro narrowed the gap, routing Nadia Petrova 6-0, 6-3 in the first reverse singles on a hardcourt at the Olympic indoor stadium.
The Spanish pair of Nuria Llagostera Vives and Arantxa Parra Santonja set the final score at 3-2 for Russia when, a set down, the Russian duo of Kuznetsova and Petrova retired in the doubles match because of Kuznetsova's fatigue.
Russia will host Serbia in the semifinals on April 21-22.
Kuznetsova won four consecutive games in the first set and continued with three more in the second.
But she then lost concentration and Soler-Espinosa won the rest of the games in the second set to stay in the match. The Russian two-time major winner continued to struggle in the third set before Kuznetsova finally broke the Spaniard in the eighth game and served the match out.
Kuznetsova said that support from the home crowd helped to win.
''At such tough moments when you feel bad ... nothing is going on on the court, you feel the support from the crowd,'' Kuznetsova said. ''You play for your country, it motivates you and it helps you to find strength for victory.''
Making her Fed Cup debut, Soler-Espinosa said her main goal in the match was to make Kuznetsova move a lot on the court and got tired in doing so.
''I felt no pressure though it was a decisive game for the Russians,'' Soler-Espinosa said. ''I tried to win till the very end but Kuznetsova was stronger. We came here to fight and we've proved it.''
Suarez Navarro rallied from 40-love in the opening game and won the rest of the games to close the set in 22 minutes. After an exchange of breaks early in the second set, the Spaniard broke decisively in the sixth game and wrapped up the win on her first match point as Petrova netted a forehand
''We were 2-0 down after the first day and I had to (take a) risk to win today,'' Suarez Navarro. ''Now we have one point. I hope Silvia will also play better today.''
After easy victories on Saturday, Russia captain Shamil Tarpischev replaced Sharapova — the original draw, who felt pain in her right arm on Sunday morning — with Petrova.
Suarez Navarro said she was surprised with the substitution and added that ''it was much better for me.''
Petrova, who is 10-5 in Fed Cup matches and last played for Russia in 2009, couldn't find her rhythm through the entire match. She made 40 unforced mistakes and had only eight winners.
''It's tough to play at full strength when you are told to step on the court at the last minute,'' said Petrova, who was scheduled to play in the doubles match. ''Psychologically it's easier to play when you are tuned for the match. I couldn't feel my game today.''
Russia has won the Fed Cup title four times since 2004 and is 5-1 against Spain, which won the title five times between 1991 and 1998.
Czech Republic 4, Germany 1
Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova rallied to beat Germany's Sabine Lisicki and send defending champion Czech Republic into the semifinals of the Fed Cup after giving her country an insurmountable lead in the first round on Sunday.
Angelique Kerber later beat Lucie Hradecka 6-4, 6-4 to salvage some pride for the hosts with the 24-year-old German's first Fed Cup win.
But Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova reaffirmed Czech dominance in the final game of the best-of-five series with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Julia Georges and Anna-Lena Groenefeld in the doubles.
Lisicki took the first set on a tie break, 7-6 (2), but No. 2-ranked Kvitova came from behind for the second time in two days to claim the second 6-4 before seeing out the decisive set 6-1.
The No. 14-ranked Lisicki had won their only previous encounter in 2009, but the 22-year-old seemed to allow the pressure get to her in the second set when Kvitova turned the screw.
''I had trouble with my return in the beginning, and it took a long time before I knew what to do — it was in the middle of the second set. Anyway, I'm happy that I got it,'' the 21-year-old Kvitova said.
Kvitova, who is on a 27-0 run indoors, had already prevailed over Julia Goerges after a long battle on Saturday, when Iveta Benesova also came from behind to beat Lisicki.
''I don't know what the key is to playing indoor, but I'm very comfortable playing indoor,'' Kvitova said.
The Czech Republic will next play Italy on April 21-22. Germany goes into a playoff to stay in the eight-nation World Group.
It was the Czechs' sixth win in seven meetings between the countries.
Germany's top player, 10th-ranked Andrea Petkovic, had been ruled out with a lower back injury.
Serbia 3, Belgium 2
Serbia relied on its second-string players to come from behind to beat Belgium 3-2 on Sunday and reach the semifinals of the Fed Cup.
Facing elimination, Bojana Jovanovski beat Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens 6-2, 6-4 to level the score at 2-2. Jovanovski then teamed with Aleksandra Krunic to beat Yanina Wickmayer and Alison Van Uytvanck in the deciding doubles, 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-1.
Serbia was without Ana Ivanovic coming into the Spiroudome this weekend and lost former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic with a left thigh injury after Saturday's opening singles.
Serbia next plays Russia in the semifinals.
Belgium was without Kim Clijsters, who decided to sit out the tie in her farewell season.
Italy 3, Ukraine 2
Flavia Pennetta shook off a sore back and paired with Roberta Vinci to secure a decisive doubles point for Italy in a 3-2 win over Ukraine on Sunday that put the hosts in the Fed Cup semifinals.
Pennetta sat out the singles competition but looked sharp in a 7-5, 0-6, 6-1 win over Lesia Tsurenko and Olga Savchuk.
In the April 21-22 semifinals, Italy will face the Czech Republic.
Italy won the Fed Cup in 2006, 2009 and 2010.
Earlier Sunday, former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone rallied to beat Kateryna Bondarenko 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-4, but Sara Errani retired midway through her match with the 121st-ranked Tsurenko to draw Ukraine level 2-2.
Errani retired citing a right knee problem while trailing 6-1, 3-0.
Errani took Pennetta's singles spot in Friday's draw, and Pennetta's back was a worry.
''It's definitely not ideal but I gave it my all today,'' Pennetta said. ''We had a bit of a lapse in the second set but it ended well.''
Pennetta's accurate return game contrasted well with Vinci's expert volleying skills.
Vinci improved to 17-0 in Fed Cup doubles.
Errani had given Italy a 1-0 lead with a comfortable win over Bondarenko on Saturday but she was never in contention against Tsurenko, who routed Schiavone on the opening day of the tie.
Errani was coming off a strong performance at the Australian Open, where she reached the quarterfinals in singles and the final in doubles with Vinci.
Schiavone, who won Roland Garros in 2010 and was the runner-up last year, fell behind 5-1 in the second set before mounting her comeback against the 89th-ranked Bondarenko, who dominated up to that point with a series of backhand winners up the line.
Schiavone began dominating with her expert baseline play and big serving. Still, the Italian fell behind 4-2 in the third set before reeling off four consecutive games and punctuating the victory by following her serve to the net and ending it with a volley winner.
Schiavone celebrated by dropping down on her back to the red clay.
''I was playing so badly it couldn't get any worse,'' Schiavone said. ''My tennis is always a battle against nerves.''
