updated 4:29 p.m. ET Feb. 2, 2008

RAMAT HASHARON, Israel - Maria Sharapova won her Fed Cup debut match and defending champion Russia split with Israel in their opening singles, while Spain and China took 2-0 leads in the first round.

Sharapova defeated Tzipi Obziler 6-0, 6-4, and Israel’s Shahar Peer rallied to defeat Dinara Safina 0-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Nuria Llagostera Vives of Spain upset Francesca Schiavone of Italy 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-2, and Anabel Medina Garrigues followed with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Flavia Pennetta in Naples, Italy. That puts the 2006 champion and last year’s runner-up on the verge of elimination heading into Sunday’s competition.

In Beijing, Li Na defeated Alize Cornet of France 6-3, 6-1 and Peng Shuai outlasted Virginie Razzano 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to put China within one victory of its first appearance in the Fed Cup semifinals.

Sharapova led 5-1 in the second set after sweeping the first before Obziler won three straight games with the support of the 6,000-capacity crowd at Ramat Hasharon Tennis Center.

At one point, the crowd began imitating Sharapova’s grunts each time she hit the ball.

“I don’t mind it,” Sharapova said. “It brings out the best in me. I love the atmosphere, the crowd and their craziness. It is what we live for. I got really anxious and excited as I was close to finishing my first Fed Cup match.”

The 16th-ranked Safina broke in the opening game and won the first set in 25 minutes.

Peer, ranked No. 17, dropped serve to start the second set, but won four straight games to win it. She was broken in the opening game for the third time before winning six games in a row to close out the match.

Peer called it the best comeback of her career.

“Every point that I won, I felt the crowd and it helped me, and I think it also affected her,” Peer said.

The reverse singles Sunday will be followed by the doubles. Anna Chakvetadze might replace Safina in the second reverse singles match against Obziler.

In her win against Cornet, Li fell behind 2-0 but rallied to win the set. In the second, set she took a 4-0 lead and was never challenged.

After splitting the first two sets, Peng broke to lead 5-4 in the third and held to close out Razzano.

“I was a little bit nervous when I was down in the first set,” Peng said. “I could hear a lot of fans and my team and coach supporting me ... I am really happy. We’re up 2-0 and we have a chance to make the next round.”

In World Group II play, Ukraine and Belgium, Japan and Croatia, the Czech and Slovak Republics and Argentina and Austria all split their opening singles.

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