France?s Tatiana Golovin during her match against Russia?s Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Fed Cup final on Sunday. Golovin made it 2-2 but Russia won the decider. (AFP)

Moscow: Moscow-born Tatiana Golovin kept alive France?s hopes of retaining the Fed Cup title by crushing US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-1 in the second reverse singles on Sunday.

Anastasia Myskina and Vera Zvonareva powered Russia to their first Fed Cup title by winning the decisive doubles against holders France on Sunday. The French Open champion gave the home team all three points by winning both singles matches in the final before teaming up with Zvonareva to beat Emilie Loit and Marion Bartoli 7-6, 7-5.

Golovin?s victory levelled the score at 2-2 in the competition final, with Russia?s Vera Zvonareva and Elena Likhovtseva scheduled to face Emilie Loit and Marion Bartoli in the decisive doubles.

Earlier, French Open champion Anastasia Myskina had put the home team ahead 2-1 when she eased past Nathalie Dechy 6-3, 6-4 in the first of the reverse singles encounters.

The two nations were level at 1-1 after day one, with Dechy stunning Kuznetsova 3-6, 7-6, 8-6 to give the holders an early advantage, before Myskina beat Golovin 6-4, 7-6 in the second singles. Myskina raced into a 3-0 lead against Dechy, the highest-ranked French Fed Cup player at number 21, in the first of the two reverse singles before comfortably winning the opening set.

After three service breaks at the start of the second set, the Russian world number three went ahead 3-1 before closing out the match on her third opportunity in 64 minutes.