GENEVA — Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky downed Alize Cornet in straight sets to give the host’s a flying start, before Kristina Mladenovic hit back for France later Saturday to level its Fed Cup match at 1-1.
Bacsinszky downed Alize Cornet 7-5, 6-4 in the opening match, but not before requiring medical treatment for a wasp sting at 3-3 in the first set.
Later, 23rd-ranked Kristina Mladenovic levelled the tie for the 2016 finalists when she eased past Belinda Bencic 6-3, 6-4.
The reverse singles and doubles take place on Sunday with the winners to face either Belarus or the Netherlands in the semifinals.
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United States holds early lead over Germany
KAANAPALI, Hawaii — After an outdated stanza of the German national anthem was sung during the opening ceremonies, the United States took a 1-0 lead and led in the other opening match in its best-of-5 Fed Cup quarterfinal Saturday.
Alison Riske beat Andrea Petkovic 7-6 (10), 6-2, and CoCo Vandeweghe led Julia Goerges 6-3, 3-1 when rain halted play.
The stanza of the anthem that was sung dates to World War II-era Germany and brought a stern response from Petkovic, and an official statement of apology from the United States Tennis Association. Petkovic, who was born in Bosnia, said in the German-speaking portion of her press conference that she considered walking off the court as the anthem went on.
Following the completion of the suspended match Sunday, the sides will play reverse singles and a doubles match.
