MOSCOW -- Meghann Shaughnessy edged Kirsten Flipkens 9-7 in the third set, and Lisa Raymond overpowered Els Callens, giving the United States a 2-0 lead over Belgium in the Fed Cup semifinals Wednesday.

"Sometimes you have to win ugly," U.S. captain Billie Jean King said.

Neither team has its top players, with the U.S. squad missing Serena and Venus Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati and Monica Seles. The Belgians are without Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters, who are ranked Nos. 1 and 2.

Shaughnessy erased a match point and outlasted the 17-year-old Flipkens 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (10-8), 9-7, after Raymond put the Americans ahead in the best-of-5 series by beating Callens 6-2, 6-1 at Olympic Stadium.

"It feels good to get the U.S. off to a good start," Raymond said. "I think we're all ready, and we came here to win this Cup."

Russia and France were tied 1-1 in the other semifinal.

Amelie Mauresmo beat Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 6-2 to give France the lead, but Russia evened it when Anastasia Myskina saved a match point and came back to top Mary Pierce 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 7-5.

"I didn't let her put her game together and do what she likes to do, which is dictate the points," Mauresmo said.

Flipkens, the top-ranked junior, gave Shaughnessy quite a tough time. The Belgian took two timeouts early in the third set to have her legs massaged.


The loss Wednesday was particularly tough to take for Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens.(AP)

But Flipkens went up a break at 4-3 when Shaughnessy sent a shot long after four deuces. The American broke back to even the set at 5-5, and the players then held serve to 8-7. That's when Flipkens netted a backhand at 30-40 to end it.

Shaughnessy, King said, "found a way with her heart and her guts to win that match."

Raymond faced a break point in the fifth game of her match but powered a forehand past Callens to get to deuce. Raymond then quickly collected the next two points, returning to her seat next to King with a big grin and a 4-1 lead.

Callens finished the next game with an ace, but Raymond made it 5-2 on serve and then broke Callens at 15, dropping a backhand just over the net and out of her opponent's reach to take the set.

In the second set, Callens won the second game, which went to deuce five times, but she couldn't manage to claim another.

The American took a 2-1 lead by serving at love, then broke Callens twice before closing out the set 6-1 and winning the match with another love game on serve.

"I don't think I could have played too much better today, or asked too much more of myself," said Raymond, who never had played a Fed Cup singles match.

The United States, with Martin Navratilova scheduled to play doubles alongside Raymond on Thursday, is seeking its 18th Fed Cup title. The Americans pulled out of the competition in 2001 after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, then lost to Austria in the second round last year.

U.S. takes 2-0 Fed Cup semifinal lead over Belgium