TENNIS

AUSTRALIAN Fed Cup captain and former Bathurst tennis coach Dave Taylor had some work to do to help his team towards victory in their tie against Spain after a hard-fought day of singles on Saturday.

A steely Samantha Stosur dug herself out of an almighty hole to lift Australia to an opening victory in the tie against the Spaniards in Adelaide on Saturday before a defeat for Casey Delacqua saw scores level going into last night's reverse singles.

The doubles tie will be held this afternoon.

Australia's top ranked player was brushed aside in the first set of the opening rubber at Memorial Drive by Spanish world No.28 Maria-Jose Martinez Sanchez, losing 2-6.

Stosur's woes worsened in the opening game of the second, when down three break points.

But that crisis prompted a stunning turnaround as the Australian won that game to start a steamrolling winning streak that resulted in a 2-6 6-1 6-4 triumph.

Stosur admitted the second set's opening game � after which she won 11 of 16 games � was crunch-time.

"Obviously, it was a huge change in momentum," Stosur said.

"If I had lost that game then who knows where the match could have ended up."

The world no.11 conceded the early advantage to the fast-starting Spaniard.

"She had full momentum," Stosur said.

"Then it started to swing my way and gradually got more and more my way and then I was in full control."

Stosur's mental toughness, coupled with a rise in first serve potency, enabled the Australian to take control of the contest.

"I'm very pleased that I was able to get through and get us up to a one-nil head start," Stosur said.

"But for me personally I have lost the two matches that we have played against each other in the last couple of months, so for me to get over that hurdle and come back from a set down, I'm really pleased with that."

Compatriot Casey Dellacqua fell to Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues in the second rubber on Saturday night, before the reverse singles overnight.

The winner of the tie progresses to a play-off for elevation to the elite World Group, which has not featured Australia since 2003.