Watson gives GB lead over Croatia in Fed Cup tie
British number two Heather Watson beat Donna Vekic 6-2 6-4 to give Great Britain the lead against Croatia in their Fed Cup promotion play-off tie.
The 24-year-old recorded the win over the world number 84 in 80 minutes.
A win for British number one Johanna Konta over world number 37 Ana Konjuh in the next match would seal victory for GB in the best-of-three contest.
Britons Laura Robson and Jocelyn Rae will face Croatia’s Konjuh and Darija Jurak in the final doubles rubber.
“As the week has gone on my opponents have been tougher, but I’ve also been playing better,” said Watson.
“There was a fist pump at the end because it was a lot more close and tense towards the end of the second set.”
Fed Cup format
Unlike the men’s team competition, the Davis Cup, which has a World Group of 16 nations, the Fed Cup divides its top teams into two groups of eight – World Group I and World Group II.
The 91 nations outside the top tiers are divided into three regional zones and Britain have one chance per year to escape – a format that hugely frustrated former captain Judy Murray.
The Europe/Africa Group I event, which this year takes place in Estonia, has 14 teams divided into groups, with Poland, Croatia, Britain and Serbia the seeded nations.
Four group winners progress to the promotion play-offs, and two nations will then qualify for World Group II play-offs in April – which could see Britain given a home Fed Cup tie for the first time since 1993.
They fell at the same stage in 2012 and 2013 – away ties in Sweden and Argentina – under the captaincy of Judy Murray.