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The Sports Network
Moscow, Russia (Sports Network) - Svetlana Kuznetsova outlasted Silvia Soler-
Espinosa in the fourth rubber to give Russia an insurmountable 3-1 lead over
Spain in their best-of-five Fed Cup quarterfinal.
Russia entered Sunday's action with a 2-0 lead, but Carla Suarez Navarro
brought Spain within one in the day's first reverse singles match with a 6-0,
6-3 straight-set victory over Nadia Petrova at Olympic Stadium.
Soler-Espinosa then battled back after dropping the first set to Kuznetsova,
but failed to convert on her two break chances in the third to fall 6-2, 4-6,
6-3.
The Russians got easy singles victories from Australian Open runner-up Maria
Sharapova and Kuznetsova here on Saturday.
Russia, last year's runner-up to the Czech Republic, is a four-time Fed Cup
champ and will meet the Belgium-Serbia victor in the semifinals in April.
The Spaniards were playing in the Fed Cup's World Group for the first time
since 2009. They fell to 1-6 against the Russians in Fed Cup play.
The Sports Network