Fed Cup round-up: Kontaveit shines as Estonia push past Portugal

Anett Kontaveit impressed for Estonia in the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Europe/Africa Zone Group I, helping her team to a 2-1 win over Portugal by racking up wins in both singles and doubles. 

Estonia now face Great Britain for first place in the three-team Pool B.

Portugal got off to a flying start when Francisca Jorge beat Katrin Saar 6-2, 6-3 in an hour and 14 minutes, but the World No.27 turned things around in her match against Ines Murta. She took the first set 6-2, and then the Portuguese No.1 was forced to retire hurt with the score at 1-1 in the second. 

Kontaveit then paired up with Saara Orav to take on Jorge and Maria Joao Kohler in the doubles, winning in straight sets but requiring a tie-break for each.

Elsewhere, Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko beat Poland’s Magda Linette 6-3, 6-3, an apparent return to form after her surprise defeat on Wednesday to Turkey’s Cagla Buyukakcay.

Team-mate Anastasija Sevastova, the World No. 15, had got Latvia off to a good start with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Magdalena Frech in the opening rubber.

"I played a lot better today," Ostapenko said afterwards. "I think it's very big for our country to have two top-20 players at the same time, so if we play our best, I think we have a good chance to finish top of our group.”

Linette and Alicja Rosolska earned Poland a consolation win in the doubles by beating Diana Marcinkevica and Daniela Vismane 6-1, 6-0.

Meanwhile, Buyukakcay’s run of form continued, coming back from a set down and saving two match points to beat Austria's Barbara Haas 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.

Earlier, Austria's Julia Grabher had come back from 5-2 down in the final set of the opening rubber against Basak Eraydin to win 5-7, 6-4, 7-5.

It was all down to the doubles, and Buyukakcay and Ayla Aksu beat Haas and Grabher 6-2, 7-6(5) to take the win.