Russia and Italy, who have won eight of the last 12 Fed Cup titles, crashed out of this year's tournament Sunday with four-time winner Czech Republic fighting a rearguard action to avoid joining them at the exit. Russia, the champion in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008, suffered an embarrassing 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands in Moscow. Italy, which was title winner in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2013, was also dumped out in the first round, going down 4-1 to France in Marseille. But Switzerland, which has yet to win the Fed Cup, made the semifinals with a thrilling 3-2 win over Germany in Leipzig, thanks to teenager Belinda Bencic and Martina Hingis clinching the decisive doubles. While the Netherlands and 2003 champion France meet in one semifinal in April, the Swiss will tackle either the Czechs or Romania in the other. The Dutch, without a single player in the top 100, made the semifinals for the first time since 1997 after Kiki Bertens defeated two-time Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-4. Kuznetsova, the world No. 17, had lost a four-hour marathon against Richel Hogenkamp Saturday in the longest singles match ever played at a Fed Cup. The 24-year-old Bertens, ranked at 106, took her Fed Cup singles record to 13 wins and one loss after the Dutch, 2-0 up overnight, claimed a famous win against a Russian team who had world number six Maria Sharapova warming the bench all weekend. In Marseille, Caroline Garcia defeated Camila Giorgi 6-3, 6-4 to put France into the semifinals for the second year running. Earlier, Kristina Mladenovic saw off Sara Errani 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 to put the French 2-1 ahead after the two nations had split the opening singles Saturday. In Leipzig, 18-year-old Bencic won her third point of the weekend when she teamed up with 35-year-old Hingis to beat Andrea Petkovic and Anna-Lena Groenefeld 6-3, 6-2 in the deciding doubles. Standing 1-1 overnight, Bencic downed Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 before Annika Beck celebrated her maiden singles appearance by seeing off Timea Bacsinszky 7-5, 6-4 to make the tie 2-2. The Czech Republic, meanwhile, recent champion in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015, were taken to a deciding doubles in Cluj by Romania. Simona Halep put Romania 2-1 up after battling past two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 before the impressive Karolina Pliskova levelled the tie with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win over Monica Niculescu. US goes 2-0 up over Poland Venus Williams beat Paula Kania 7-5, 6-2, and Sloane Stephens beat Magda Linette, 6-2 6-4 Saturday to give the US a 2-0 lead over Poland after the opening day of their Fed Cup first round. The Americans are one match away from advancing to the World Group II semifinals in April. Gasquet retains title Top-seeded Richard Gasquet defended his Open Sud de France title with a 7-5, 6-4 win against Paul-Henri Mathieu in all-French final Sunday. Gasquet dropped serve twice in the first set, rallying from 3-0 down by breaking Mathieu's serve three times on the way to a 13th career title and third at the Montpellier event. In the semis, Gasquet beat Dustin Brown of Germany 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 and Mathieu downed German teenager Alexander Zverev 7-6 (11), 7-5. Batista-Agut in Sofia Open final Top-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut advanced to the final of the Garanti Koza Sofia Open by beating Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 7-6 (5), 6-4.
