Venus Williams and Francesca Schiavone have both scored extraordinary wins to pull their countries back onto level terms on the first day of action in the Fed Cup World Group Semi's. The four-time Wimbledon Champion Williams was put under added pressure after her teammate Vania King succumbed to world number eight Anna Chakvetadze in the first match of the tie.

Chakvetadze, who has captured two titles already this year, cruised past King with a scoreline of 61 63 to hand Russia a 1-0 lead. Chakvetadze, who at world number eight is the highest ranked player in either squad, admitted she was relatively confident about the match.

"I wasn't nervous at the beginning," said Chakvetadze. "I was maybe a little bit nervous when it was 5-2 when I lost that game but it wasn't the end and I thought to myself that I will have to be focused until the end, until the last point is over but in the beginning I felt pretty confident."

After Chakvetadze's convincing win over King, it was up to Nadia Petrova to come out and fire Russia into an extremely handy 2-0 lead, or for Williams to come out and even up the tie for America. It was the later that prevailed in an amazing come from behind win.

Venus trailed 03 before reeling the first set back to force it to a tiebreak, in which she was down 6 points to 3 until she came back to take the set, but then dissapointingly came out to drop the second set without taking a game off the Russian. In the third set Venus was broken in the seventh game, but the 27 year old gathered herself back together, broke back, and eventually took the third set and the match 76 06 64.

In Italy, world number 19 Tatiana Golovin kicked off the action with a toughly contested 63 26 62 win over Tathiana Garbin to give France a well deserved 1-0 lead.

After her match, a pleased Golovin commented, "I'm really happy to have given this point to my team. I love playing for France, and despite some tough moments in the match, overall I was able to find my rhythm and win the game."

It was Francesca Schiavone who would now come out and shine for the Italians with a stunning straight sets victory over world number six Amelie Mauresmo. At 53 up serving for the first set, the former world number one was not able to hold her serve and take the set, instead she was broken by a pumped up Schiavone who would go on to pinch the set from Mauresmo 7 games to 5. The 27 year old Italian continued on her merry way and clinched the second set and with it the match 75 63. It was not the first time that Schiavone has upset the Frenchwoman in Fed Cup, in fact Schiavone has now made it two years in a row that she has defeated the two time Grand Slam Champion in Fed Cup.

Results:

USA v Russia
Rubber 1
Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) d. Vania King (USA) 63 61

Rubber 2
Venus Williams (USA) d. Nadia Petrova (RUS) 76(6) 06 64

Italy v France
Rubber 1
Tatiana Golovin (FRA) d. Tathiana GARBIN (ITA) 63 26 62

Rubber 2
Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. Amelie MAURESMO (FRA) 75 63