Daria Kasatkina beat Jil Teichmann to give Russia a 1-0 lead over Switzerland in the final of the maiden Billie Jean King Cup in Prague on Saturday. 

Kasatkina, the world number 28, eased past the 39th-ranked Teichmann 6-2, 6-4 to take Russia within a win of the rebranded Fed Cup which the country had won four times.

"Amazing feeling. I'm happy that I bring this very important point to my team. Now I'm going to be a supporter," said Kasatkina.

Teichmann demolished Storm Sanders on Friday as Switzerland beat Australia in the semi-final, but Kasatkina, who had sat out Russia's previous two ties, proved a different level.

The Russian went 5-0 up on her precise hitting and three breaks as Teichmann struggled with her serve, and she took the set easily despite a late break by the Swiss player.

Both held on to their serves in the second set until game seven when they traded a break apiece but Kasatkina earned one more and then held on to her serve, taking the set as Teichmann blasted her forehand out of the court.

In the next rubber, Liudmila Samsonova, the world number 40, will face 17th-ranked Belinda Bencic after replacing an injured Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Olympic champion Bencic has so far lost only one set in her three singles rubbers at the tournament.