Brits get off to a good start

Great Britain made a winning start to their Fed Cup campaign by despatching Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-0 in Lisbon.

Captain Nigel Sears had been pleased to start against the Bosnians, who he regarded as the weakest opponents in the competition, with Austria and Belarus to come, and so it proved.

British top two Elena Baltacha and Katie O'Brien both had emphatic victories with the former remaining on court to join Sarah Borwell in the doubles where they completed a whitewash.

Number two O'Brien gave Britain a flying start with a straight-sets victory over Ema Burgic.

The 23-year-old took a 3-1 lead in the first set before dropping her serve for 3-2 - however, that was as good as it got for Bosnia & Herzegovina with O'Brien breaking the opposition to take the first set.

It was one-way traffic in the second as the Yorkshire-born player overpowered her opponent, taking the set and the match on her first match point.

O'Brien said: "I think to be honest the match was in my control. I think it was all about me being solid and making her move and that's what I did really. I served quite well as well which I was pleased with."

British number one Elena Baltacha had a commanding 6-1 6-1 win against world number 387 Sandra Martinovic.

The world number 83, who reached the third round of the Australian Open, made a perfect start by breaking Martinovic in the first game before holding her own serve for an immediate 2-0 lead.

Both women held before Baltacha broke for a second time to go 4-1 up and the Briton won the next two games to take the first set.

The Kiev-born Briton dropped the first game of the second set before rallying to win the next six and run out a comfortable winner.

Baltacha said: "I think the most important thing was that I got a win. I think I played really well in patches and in patches not great, I don't think I've actually hit a forehand into the side fence before!"

Borwell and Baltacha then despatched the Bosnian doubles pair 6-3 6-2.

Sears said: "I'm very pleased with today. Even though they were the weakest team, the girls couldn't have done a better job.

"They were very professional, and pulled off a clean, decisive win.

"The rest of the week is only going to get tougher, but we're up for the challenge."