The Czech Republic won the Fed Cup for the first time as an independent nation on Sunday after Kveta Peschke and Lucie Hradecka won a deciding doubles to edge Russia 3-2.
The pair came back from a break down in the first set to defeat Maria Kirilenko and Elena Vesnina 6-4, 6-2 and secure the Czechs' first title since 1988, when they competed as Czechoslovakia, at Moscow's indoor hardcourt Olympic Stadium.
The victory was made possible by World No. 2 Petra Kvitova, who recovered from her triumph in last week's season-ending WTA Championships in Istanbul to rout Kirilenko 6-2, 6-2 and battle past Svetlana Kuznetsova in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Russia's other singles successes came from Kuznetsova, who beat Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-2; and Anna Pavlyuchenkova, who also defeated Safarova, 6-2, 6-4, squaring the tie for the deciding doubles rubber.
It consigned Russia to their first defeat in their last five final appearances: Since 2004, Russia have beaten France twice, Italy and Spain to take the title. Belgium were the last nation to overcome Russia in a final -- a 2-1 win in Madrid a decade ago.
The 26-year-old Kuznetsova tasted her first Fed Cup final defeat after contributing to 4-0 whitewashes against Spain in 2008 and Italy a year earlier and also a narrower 3-2 triumph over France in 2004. Vesnina also played in the two latter wins.
It was the closest Fed Cup final since Italy edged Belgium 3-2 in 2006.
