Kiki Bertens won a decisive singles rubber in Moscow yesterday, beating Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in straight sets to lead the Netherlands into the Fed Cup semi-finals.
Bertens won 6-1, 6-4 in one hour 26 minutes to give the Dutch squad an unassailable 3-0 lead in the opening round tie at the hardcourts of the Olympic indoor arena.
“Today I felt good, while Svetlana (Kuznetsova) played yesterday a four-hour match,” Bertens said.
“And I believed that if I started good and won the first set —  even if it went to a third set—I believed that my body would feel better than hers.  
Two-time former Grand Slam champion Kuznetsova clearly failed to recover from her four-hour marathon defeat on Saturday to Richel Hogenkamp, the longest match ever in the Fed Cup.
Bertens grabbed two breaks of serve to take the opening set in 35 minutes.
Then in the second set, 24-year-old Bertens got the break of serve she needed in the seventh game and went on to seal the victory on her second match point with a powerful forehand, which Kuznetsova returned into the net.
Dutch team skipper Paul Haarhuis said he had not expected such an easy victory against last season’s runners-up Russia.
“I did not expect a 3-0 win as Russia are a very strong team,” he said.
“But our girls played really well, they fought hard. Every day you have the chance to beat the higher-ranked player. That’s what the girls believed in and what they’ve actually done.”
Haarhuis, who has led the Dutch to eight consecutive Fed Cup victories since he took over as skipper, added that a great team spirit was the main reason for the winning series.
“We have a great team, that’s our secret,” he said. “And the chemistry in the team is really good, the girls are working very hard for each other. They all love to play for their country and they’re very disappointed when they cannot play.”
Russia team captain Anastasia Myskina said she had not been shocked by the result.
“We knew that the Netherlands were playing really good as they have not lost a single Fed Cup match in two years,” Myskina said.
“The only shocking factor for us was that everything went wrong for us in this match. Every line and every net touch went in their (Netherlands) favour. But sometimes it happens.”
Myskina, the 2004 French Open champion, said that she had been limited in her options by the fact that top player Maria Sharapova had been sidelined with an injury.
On Saturday Hogenkamp beat Kuznetsova 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 10-8 to give the Netherlands a shock 2-0 lead after Bertens overcame Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-4.
After beating four-time champions Russia the Dutch squad will now face France.
Caroline Garcia put France into the semi-final clash by defeating Italy’s Camila Giorgi 6-3, 6-4 in Marseille yesterday.
The win, in the second of the reverse singles, gave the home team a winning 3-1 lead with just the doubles to come.
Earlier Kristina Mladenovic had put France 2-1 up over the Italians by defeating Sara Errani 7-6 (7/4), 6-1.
In what was a matchup of the two national number ones, Mladenovic was behind early on 3-1, but from that point on she dominated the tie and ran out a comfortable winner in the end.
Saturday’s action had seen Mladenovic fall in three sets to Giorgi, while Errani lost to Garcia.
“Kristina was mentally strong after the difficulties she had yesterday. Caro (Garcia) super from the start to the finish,” Mauresmo said.
“There is no easy tie (in the Fed Cup) but it’s a great chance for us.”
It was the second straight year that France have defeated Italy in the Fed Cup first round having won 3-2 in Genoa last year.