The Czech Republic secured the Fed Cup title after the narrowest of victories over Russia as they overcame their hosts 3-2 in Moscow.
After Petra Kvitova had given the Czech team a 2-1 lead with victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova levelled with a straightforward win over Lucie Safarova to send the match into a deciding doubles rubber.
Lucie Hradecka and Kveta Peschke proved too strong for Maria Kirilenko and Elena Vesnina as the Czech side prevailed for their first Fed Cup title since the break-up of Czechoslovakia in the early 1990s.
The tie had resumed with the score at 1-1 and the first match saw Wimbledon champion Kvitova take on Kuznetsova.
The world number two, who had easily defeated Kirilenko yesterday, was broken four times in the first set which her opponent won 6-4.
Kvitova hit back to win the second set 6-2 to force the match into a decider, in which Kuznetsova appeared to be fully in control as she raced into a 3-0 lead.
However, Kvitova reeled off six consecutive games and won the match with a forehand winner into the corner to win 4-6 6-2 6-3 as the Czechs took a 2-1 lead.
One more victory would see the Czech team to the title but world number 15 Pavlyuchenkova stood in the way against Safarova.
The Russian broke twice in the first set in the fifth and seventh games, after which she held serve to take a 6-2 lead.
The second set followed a similar path, Pavlyuchenkova breaking in the fifth, before serving out the set with an ace on match point for a 6-2 6-4 victory forcing a deciding doubles rubber.
The Russians broke in the fifth game of the first set and then took a 4-2 lead. However, the Czech pair reeled off four successive games to take the first set 6-4.
They then broke for a 3-1 lead in the second set, and apart from when Russia held to make it 4-2, were firmly in control, winning the next two games for a 6-4 6-2 victory.
