Zvonareva brushed aside Sara Errani 6-0, 6-2 in 56 minutes before Kuznetsova prevailed over Roberta Vinci 6-2, 6-7, 6-1 to give the home team a commanding 2-0 lead against defending champions Italy in their semifinal on a specially-built indoor court laid on top of an ice rink at the Khodynka arena.

Belgium and the Czech Republic were tied 1-1 in their semifinal in Charleroi.

The Russians, who won the women's team competition four times between 2004 and 2008, have been the overwhelming favorites against an under-strength Italian team missing their top two players, Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta.

World number four Schiavone skipped the tie to concentrate on the defense of her French Open title while Pennetta, ranked number 20 in the world, was ruled out with a shoulder injury, leaving the three-times champions with a slim chance only.

In the opening rubber, Zvonareva took full advantage of her opportunities, converting all five breakpoint chances against a nervous-looking Errani, ranked 40 places below the Russian.

Despite the lop-sided score, the world No.3 said she had to work hard for her victory.

"It may have looked easy but it wasn't," said Zvonareva, who has not lost a Fed Cup match in almost eight years. But I have to be satisfied with my game." Errani said: "She was just too tough for me. The way she played today, I don't thing I had a chance." Kuznetsova easily won the first set but then allowed her opponent to get back into the match by making numerous errors.

Vinci was serving for the second set at 5-2, and although the 14th-ranked Russian fought back to 5-5, the slender-built Italian held her nerves in a tiebreaker to level the match.

The former US and French Open champion, however, regained her composure to dominate in the decider.

"Suddenly in the second set she just started hitting her shots and it threw me off my rhythm," Kuznetsova, who has been inconsistent since the start of the year, told reporters.

"But with all the respect to her, I knew she wouldn't been able to sustain that kind of tennis for more than one set. So I just had to be patient and play smart in the third set." Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer levelled her team's semi-final against the Czech Republic after defeating Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-4, 6-4.

Petra Kvitova beat Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) 6-2, 7-6 in the opening match.

Wickmayer, ranked 26 places higher than her opponent, heads the Belgium team after Kim Clijsters missed the tie through shoulder and wrist injuries.