LONDON (AP) Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova took more than two hours to put the defending champion Czech Republic in control of its Fed Cup tie with Germany, while a surprise loss by Italy's Francesca Schiavone gave Ukraine a boost on Saturday.
The Czechs led 2-0 in Stuttgart, Russia led Spain by the same score in Moscow, Italy and Ukraine were 1-all in Biella, and Belgium and Serbia were 1-all in Charleroi.
Germany was without its best player, an injured Andrea Petkovic, but pushed the Czechs hard in both singles.
Iveta Benesova overcame Sabine Lisicki 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, then Kvitova twice was two points from losing to Julia Goerges in the second set, but pulled through 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 in 2 hours, 21 minutes.
Goerges, who beat Kvitova in their only previous match, hit some superb service returns and twice broke back in the final set to put the pressure back on the Czech star.
``It was really little difference between us,'' said Kvitova, who won her 26th straight indoor match.
She can clinch the Czechs a spot in the semifinals in April by winning the first reverse singles on Sunday against Lisicki.
In Biella, Schiavone lost a home Fed Cup match on clay for the first time in seven years when she was picked apart by unheralded Lesia Tsurenko from Kiev 6-1, 6-2.
Tsurenko, ranked 110 spots below Schiavone at 121st, dominated with a strong serve and accurate volleys in just her third tie.
She evened the tie after Australian Open quarterfinalist Sara Errani beat Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 6-3.
In Moscow, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova won their opening singles as expected and without trouble.
Sharapova topped Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-2, 6-1 and Kuznetsova put away Carla Suarez Navarro 6-3, 6-1.
Sharapova was nervous because she lost her opening singles of her last tie in Moscow last year against France. But Soler-Espinosa wasn't up to taking advantage of it. Sharapova can send Russia into a sixth successive semifinals in Sunday's first match against Suarez Navarro.
Belgium or Serbia will face the Russia-Spain winner in the semis, and the tie in Charleroi was evenly poised after the first day.
Former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic first put Serbia in front by saving two set points in a 7-5, 7-5 win over Kirsten Flipkens, then Yanina Wickmayer came back with 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Bojana Jovanovski, winning the last four games.
The 19-degree temperatures outside the Spiroudome almost overwhelmed the indoor heating, leaving the players and fans shivering. Jankovic joked she might turn up on Sunday in a coat and hat.