Tennis: Czech Republic and Romania level at 1-1 after day one in Fed Cup tie

Fed Cup defending champions, the Czech Republic, and Romania split their opening singles in their Fed Cup World Group first round match in the Czech Republic on Saturday. Australian Open semi-finalist Karolina Pliskova won the first point for the Czechs after easing past Mihaela Buzanescu 6-1, 6-4 on an indoor hard-court in Ostrava. But Simona Halep won the second singles by routing Katerina Siniakova, the star of last year's final against the United States, 6-4, 6-0. Pliskova and Halep, both former world number ones, will meet in the first reverse singles on Sunday. Romania have never beaten the Czechs, or been past the Fed Cup quarter-finals.