Maria Sharapova beats Petra Kvitova; Russia leads 2-1 in Fed Cup final

PRAGUE (AP) — Maria Sharapova came from a set down to defeat Petra Kvitova in the first reverse singles on Sunday to give Russia a 2-1 lead over defending champion Czech Republic in the Fed Cup final.

In a matchup of two top 10 players, the fourth-ranked Sharapova rallied to a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over the sixth-ranked Kvitova to put Russia one win away from its first Fed Cup title since 2008.

In the second reverse singles, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova takes on Karolina Pliskova who needs to win to keep the Czechs in the best-of-five series.

The tie is played at Prague's O2 Arena, where security has been stepped up following the terrorist attacks in Paris.

Sharapova went 5-2 up in the final set before closing out with a forehand winner.

"Personally, it's an incredible achievement for me because I've never been in the Fed Cup final," Sharapova said. "And I won two of my matches."

In Saturday's singles, Kvitova put the host team ahead by beating Pavlyuchenkova 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 before Sharapova leveled the tie by defeating Pliskova 6-3, 6-4.

Sharapova, who helped Russia on its way to winning its last title in 2008, was playing in her first final. With the victory she improved her head-to-head record against Kvitova to 7-4.

Sharapova broke for a 5-4 lead before serving out the second set with a forehand winner to force the decisive third set.

"I felt that once I got the second set I got the energy back," the Russian said.

Kvitova attacked with a big forehand at early stages, putting Sharapova under pressure.

The Czech didn't waste time and broke her in the opening game and again in the final game of the first set when the Russian hit the net with a forehand volley on her first set point.

"Petra played unbelievable in the first set. She was so aggressive, hitting really deep all the strokes. I didn't have the momentum in the first set," Sharapova said.

In doubles, the Czech pair of Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova is set to playEkaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina.

Australian Open 2015: Petra Kvitova ready to defend Sydney title

The last time Petra Kvitova was in Sydney, she was kissing the Sydney International champion's trophy.

It's unlikely that it was at this moment, after beating fellow Czech Karolina Pliskova to take out the Apia International, that Kvitova contracted the 'kissing disease'.

In a year that started promisingly and finished on a high - Kvitova was the runner-up in the season-ending WTA finals at Singapore and was part of the Czech team that clinched its fourth Fed Cup in five years - there was a very rough patch in the middle. The world No.6 was struck down by mononucleosis, a viral condition that can result in swollen glands, fevers and body aches.

Recovered: Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic stretches to effect a return. Photo: Getty Images

Dubbed the 'kissing disease' because it can be transmitted through saliva, Roger Federer showed few ill effects after being diagnosed in 2008. However, the virus effectively ended the careers of fellow players Mario Ancic and Robin Soderling.

With her immune system shot mid-year, Kvitova's results dipped.

"I was very tired," Kvitova said. "When I managed to wake up I was feeling I cannot prepare all the day.

"When I went to practice I couldn't have a hit for long, about half an hour. It was like 'OK, something is happening'. Finally we worked out why I'm feeling so weird and so tired."

While Kvitova said she needs to continue to "work through" the condition, her strong finish to the season suggests she is well on the road to recovery.

Consistency has always been an issue for Kvitova. The 25-year-old has twice won Wimbledon, most recently last year, and was once just a handful of ranking points outside the top spot. In Madrid this year, she ground Serena Williams into the red clay, losing just five games in a stunning upset en route to the title.

But her powerful groundstrokes are as likely to end up at the bottom of the net as kissing the baseline, depending on her health and head space. The 26-year-old's best performance at the Australian Open was a semi-final appearance in 2012, but her return to Sydney as the defending champion should ensure a strong lead-in to Melbourne Park.

"I'm really looking forward to coming back," she said. "It was a great week last year and a good preparation for the Australian Open. It's a beautiful city, I really love Australia. The people are nice and smiling all the time, it's nice to meet them."

Kvitova has won more than $US20 million so far. It is a fair haul for a player whose family was so poor they couldn't afford a car to drive her to tournaments during her childhood.

Her father, as is often the case in professional tennis, pushed Kvitova while coaching her through her teens.

"I practiced hour after hour after school every day and that was my day," she said.

"I remember one time my friend told me 'I want to go to swimming pool'. My father said no because I had to play. That's the kind of thing, as a kid, you find very sad, that you couldn't go. Now I [appreciate it] but still it was very hard at that moment."

Kvitova is finding a better balance in her life these days. Her boyfriend, Czech hockey player Radek Meidl, understands the demands of professional sporting life.

"It's good because he understands the life of sports, he has his own as well," she said. "We kind of understand each other, this is very good, a good bond, I'd have to say."