Spain on course for Fed Cup final

Five-times champions Spain surged to a 2-0 lead over China in their Fed Cup semi-final, helped by Carla Suarez-Navarro's victory over her much higher ranked opponent.

China, bidding to reach their first Fed Cup final, stumbled in the first singles rubber when world number 68 Peng Shuai was outplayed by 132-ranked Suarez-Navarro 6-3 7-6 at the Beijing International Tennis Centre.

The Spaniard's powerful backhand and speed forced Peng into a series of errors that she could not make up for.

'I was in a mess on the court,' Peng told a news conference. 'I always made mistakes at the key points I ought to win.'

The 19-year-old Suarez-Navarro showed her calmness before some 2,000 Beijing spectators, who were enthusiastically cheering for the hosts.

'I felt a little bit nervous in front of such crazy crowds, but later I concentrated and played more and more confidently,' she said.

China's misery continued in the second singles rubber when top-ranked Spaniard Nuria Llagostera Vives scored a 6-3 6-4 victory over twice Grand Slam doubles champion Zheng Jie, who had recently come back after ankle surgery.

World number 76 Llagostera Vives successfully suppressed Zheng's attempt to fight back in the second set, winning a fifth game of 10 deuces.

Spain need victory in just one of the three remaining rubbers being played on Sunday to book a place in the final. China would need to win both reverse singles and the doubles to progress.

Chakvetadze & Kuznetsova give Russia early lead

Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anna Chakvetadze recorded straight-sets wins over low-key opponents to give holders Russia a commanding 2-0 lead in their Fed Cup semi-final against the United States.

World number seven Chakvetadze beat 115th-ranked Vania King 6-4 7-5 in the opening singles before world number four Kuznetsova overpowered Ahsha Rolle, making her Fed Cup debut, 6-2 6-1 in the second rubber.

Chakvetadze broke the American in the fifth game to go on to take the first set.

She repeated the trick in the fifth game of the second set to go up 3-2 but then had to work harder after losing her serve in the eighth game when she double-faulted twice in a row.

Chakvetadze broke back in the next game to lead 5-4. She then wasted two match points before double-faulting once more on a break point, gifting her opponent the 10th game.

After breaking King again in the next game, the 21-year-old finally held her nerve by saving two break points in the 12th game before sealing victory after 84 minutes.

Chakvetadze, who crushed King 6-1 6-3 in last year's Fed Cup semi-final in Vermont -- their only previous meeting, blamed her nerves for failing to close out the match earlier.

'I had two match points at 5-4 40-15 and instead of going for it I started to play more cautious,' she told reporters.

'And after she saved those match points my nerves got to me and I lost my concentration. But I was able to overcome that problem.'

King was optimistic despite the defeat.

'I'm pretty happy with my play, although I'm disappointed to lose,' she said.

'Actually I feel like my game has improved from last year and I feel like I can beat almost anyone.'