Nis, Serbia (Sports Network) - Last year's runner-up Serbia is fortunate to be all square with the Slovak Republic in Fed Cup action.

Daniela Hantuchova posted a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Bojana Jovanovski in Saturday's opening rubber and the Slovaks were closing in a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-five tie when Dominika Cibulkova was forced to retire due to a cramp.

Cibulkova was leading Vesna Dolonc, 6-4, 5-4, prior to being removed from the indoor hardcourt at Hala "Cair" on a stretcher.

Sunday's reverse singles rubbers will pit Cibulkova, if she's capable of giving it a go, against Jovanovski and Hantuchova versus Dolonc, while the doubles match has a Serbian duo of Dolonc and Aleksandra Krunic taking on a Slovakian tandem of Magdalena Rybarikova and Jana Cepelova.

The winner in Nis will face the Japan-Russia victor in a semifinal in April.

The Sports Network