[imagine church bells peeling!] 3-0, 3-0, 3-0, 3-0!

GB started their Fed Cup in the Estonian capital Tallinn today by beating their toughest (on paper) group opponents Hungary by (you've guessed it!) 3-0.

Netherlands and Luxemburg are the other countries in this Europe/Africa Zone Group 1 and so a play-off for promotion is surely beckoning.

Elena Baltacha started the ball rolling winning the #2 singles played first; Anne Keothavong then beat world #25 Szavay 6-3 6-2; Sarah Borwell and Mel South then teamed up to take the doubles 3&3.

Keep up the good work, girls!!

Make that 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-0 !!

In fact 12-0 12-0 12-0 12-0! Netherlands taken to the cleaners today and GB assured of a play-off slot against another group winner later in the week! Great stuff, girls!

Annie turned out twice today teaming up with Sarah in the doubles instead of Mel who, maybe, will be given her Fed Cup singles blooding tomorrow against Luxembourg.

In the absence of Anne Kremer, presumably still injured after her brief appearance in Wrexham, Luxembourg were completely rolled over yesterday for the loss of only 5 games in the singles and they threw in the towel so that Sarah and Mel were given a walkover. Mel had earlier made her singles debut and took her match 0&2 with Anne then winning the top singles nearly as comfortably.

So after last year's near debacle when GB had to play-off to avoid relegation, we now have the pleasure of taking on Poland today for the right to play a fixture in April for promotion into the World Group echelons.

Poland are no easy task with the world #9 as their top singles against Annie world #54; Bally the likely second string singles will have a rankings advantage over her opponent; so it all may boil down to the doubles which will be nip and tuck. Good luck, girls!

Come what may, it's great to be thinking up instead of down!!

Bally led off with a win setting the scene for what would be the pivotal match. Annie took the world#9 Radwanska close close close; but she went down 7-6 7-6

The tie was 1-1 with the doubles to decide it. Unaccountably, some may say (including me!) captain Sears kept to his original plan of fielding Anne with doubles specialist Sarah leaving Mel fresh-legged but on the bench.

After a tight first set went Poland's way, they raced into a 5-0 second set lead. A brave fight-back brought the next 3 games but the dream then came to a sad close.

It's been a great effort, though, by all the girls and they can be very proud.