NEWS FED CUP 2014: RUSSIA 2 ARGENTINA 0.

SOCHI, RUSSIA
The Russians find themselves in an excellent position after day one of their Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group play-off tie, as they lead Argentina 2-0 after the opening singles after victories for Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova. It was the Sochi native Vesnina who was first on court and she was roared on by a partisan home crowd, which included a number of her friends and family as she took on Argentina’s No. 1, Paula Ormaechea. Things did not start well for the Russian, who dropped her serve in the opening game of the match, but she soon hit her stride, with the 21-year-old finding it difficult to cope with Vesnina’s pace and power from the baseline.
"It was a very nervous start because I didn’t know Paula and we had never played against each other and it’s a Fed Cup match and I knew I needed to get the first point for my country," Vesnina said. "I just needed a few games to get used to the surface and her game. When you have one set under your belt and you are leading, it makes a big difference." Vesnina raced into a 4-0 lead in the second set and despite a little wobble, she calmed her nerves to seal a 63 63 victory in just over one and a quarter hours. Ranked 71 in the world, Ormaechea would have been hoping to spring an upset, but she was gracious in defeat, adding that the better player won. "I started well, but then she started playing really well making winners from everywhere and she was pretty consistent. It was tough out there and I knew it was going to be like this. When you are out there you are hoping that you can turn things around for your side but it wasn’t to be this time." Ekaterina Makarova came into her clash with Maria Irigoyen admitting that she knew almost nothing about her opponent. That was certainly apparent early on as the two traded breaks midway though the first set. The Russian was having difficulty coming to terms with playing a fellow lefthander, but a crucial break in the 11th game allowed her to serve out and take the first set 75.