BRUSSELS -- Fed Cup champions Belgium got the defense of their title off to a solid start by surging into a 2-0 lead over Australia.

Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters both put recent injuries behind them to turn on the style at the Royal Leopold Club in Brussels.

World No. 3 Clijsters had been unable to compete for almost a month due to shoulder problems but raced past Alicia Molik 6-0, 6-2 on an outdoor clay court to give the hosts a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five tie.

Henin, Wimbledon runner-up last year, withdrew from last week's tournament in Charleston with a muscle strain and was less convincing in her 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 win over Nicole Pratt.

Kid sister Antonella makes sparkling Fed Cup debut

Dramatic 2-0 lead for Italy
MILAN -- Italy's Antonella Serra Zanetti made the Fed Cup debut of her dreams, saving five match points to beat Swede Asa Svensson 6-7, 6-3, 10-8.

The dramatic victory took the pressure off elder sister Adriana who comfortably beat Sofia Arvidsson 6-1 6-1 to give the Italians one foot in the quarter-finals of the women's team tennis competition.

Twenty-one-year-old Antonella, ranked just 123rd in the world, said: "This was my first Fed Cup match... and I know it will be a very important win for my career -- I will remember it for a long, long time.

"I don't have the most beautiful shots maybe, but I always fight on court.

"In a competition like Fed Cup you need to fight your best."

Germany even with Russia
DRESDEN, Germany -- Barbara Rittner kept Germany on course for their first Fed Cup victory over Russia when she beat Anastasia Myskina in three tough sets to level their first round tie 1-1.

The world No. 67 fought hard on a rainy day for a 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 victory over the favoured Myskina, who is 38 places above her in the WTA rankings.

"I knew I was capable of winning," 29-year-old Rittner said afterwards. "Now we must believe in ourselves but first of all, I must calm down."

No. 15 Elena Dementieva had earlier put last year's finalists Russia in the lead with a straightforward 6-4, 6-2 victory over 19-year-old Martina Mueller in a match that was briefly interrupted by a downpour.

Germany, no longer a force the be reckoned with now Steffi Graf and Anke Huber are both retired, are clearly the outsiders on the clay courts in Dresden.

This is the first Fed Cup tie to be staged in what was once East Germany.

German team chief Markus Schur was expected to make a change for Sunday's games with Marlene Weingaertner, who was originally lined up to play only the doubles with Rittner, likely to play a singles match as well.

Spain, Hungary tied 1-1
ALMERIA, Spain -- Spain were level at 1-1 with Hungary in their Fed Cup first round tie after Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario sealed a straight-sets victory over Rita Kuti Kis in the second singles match.

The win enabled the 30-year-old Spaniard to set a new double record for victories in the competition.

Sanchez-Vicario has now totalled 67 wins in singles and doubles matches, beating the old record she held jointly with Britain's Virginia Wade.

She has also set a new mark of 46 wins in singles matches, taking her one ahead of the Czech Republic's Helena Sukova in the all-time list.

Hungary had earlier taken the lead when Zsofia Gubacsi produced a determined display to beat Angeles Montolio 6-3 3-6 6-2.

But Spain's number one put the tie back on track with a powerful performance.

After some patient baseline play and three breaks of serve Sanchez-Vicario took the first set 6-4, winning the final point with an ace.

She then pressured her opponent into a string of errors in the second set, finishing with a flourish by producing a string of deft drop shot winners to help her break three more times and clinch the second set 6-2.

Gubacsi began in aggressive fashion and took full advantage to take the first set as Montolio struggled to find her range with her looping backhands.

The Spaniard found her rhythm, though, at the start of the second set to snatch a 3-0 lead.

Coming off the baseline to take the initiative she produced a succession of volleyed winners to take the set 6-3.

But Montolio found it difficult to cope with the sweltering heat and needed treatment to her right foot at the end of the set.

In the decisive third set Gubacsi moved her opponent around the court to good effect.

The Spaniard cracked as she failed to hold a single service game and although she broke back twice to trail 5-2, Gubacsi served out to clinch an impressive win.