Russia have raced away to a 2-0 lead in their Fed Cup World Group contest against SpainYou can watch and bet on Russia v Spain live for free at bet365 > live tennisMaria Sharapova bounced back from her Australian Open final defeat on Saturday with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 win against Spanish underdog Silvia Soler-Espinosa. The Russian had disappointed in her last Fed Cup outing, but this time around she was in no mood for complacency.
“I was a bit nervous before the beginning of the match as I failed to show my best tennis in my previous Fed Cup appearance in Moscow,” admitted the former world No. 1. “It was very important to stay concentrated, to believe and prove that my tennis is better and to win the match. Luckily, I managed to do all that and now I'm really satisfied with my performance.”
Svetlana Kuznetsova maintained the Russian domination with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Carla Suarez Navarro. “From the scoreline, the match looked easy but in fact it was a bit difficult,” revealed the two-time slam winner after the match. “But I've played rather well today and I'm satisfied with my tennis.”
Sharapova will now face Suarez Navarro in the first reverse singles rubber. A win for Sharapova will send Russia through to the next round. Should she fall short for whatever reason, Soler-Espinosa will have to pull off a huge upset against Kuznetsova to force the tie into a doubles decider.
