Spain Claw Back To Tie With Czechs

Llagostera Vives made sure the teams shared the honours with a 1-6 6-1 6-4 win over Iveta Benesova.

Nuria Llagostera Vives recovered from a dismal first set to level Spain's Fed Cup first round tie 1-1 against the Czech Republic on Saturday.

Petra Kvitova handed the Czechs an unexpected lead when she beat in-form Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-4 6-4 before Llagostera Vives made sure the teams shared the honours with a 1-6 6-1 6-4 win over Iveta Benesova.

The Czechs looked set to shut out the visitors on the opening day of the tie when Benesova easily took the first set against Llagostera Vives in the second singles match.

But the 28-year-old Spaniard quickly turned the tide to level the contest and silenced the home fans when she wrapped up victory on her first match point.

"It was a tough match, and there were plenty of chances," Czech captain Petr Pala told reporters.

World number 30 Carla Suarez Navarro struggled to reproduce the form that her carried her to the Australian Open quarter-finals last month.

"My forehand was no good today, so I couldn't play (well)," Suarez Navarro said.

Five-times champions and 2008 finalists Spain were expected to roll over the Czechs since they hold a 2-0 record over the hosts.

But Kvitova ruined their plans.

"I was really happy to put us up," Kvitova said. "I was really quite nervous from the start."

Benesova will take on Suarez Navarro and Kvitova will face Llagostera Vives in the reverse singles on Sunday. A doubles match will complete the tie.