Garcia's victory levelled the overall score after Karolina Pliskova defeated Kristina Mladenovic earlier today in a record-breaking affair to give the Czechs the first point.

The Czech team have dominated this competition recently and are bidding for a fifth title in their last six years this weekend.

They also won the most recent tie between these two nations in the semi-finals last year.

After Kvitova came back from 4-2 down in the opening set, Garcia managed to snatch the lead in a nervy tie-break courtesy of a cross court backhand that stunned the Czech.

Garcia was then broken at the start of the second set but capitalised on her opponent's errors to claim four consecutive games.

Kvitova saved one match point but it was not enough as Garcia converted her second.

Pliskova, the US Open runner-up, was forced to recover from a second-set stumble to beat Mladenovic 6-3, 4-6, 16-14 in an epic match.

She started well and took the first set before a nervy second from the Czech allowed Mladenovic to draw level.

What was about to unfold was historic, however, as the third and deciding set broke records for the longest singles set in terms of games in a Fed Cup final.

Mladenovic rallied from 5-2 down in the decider and saved two match points with two big serves, including an ace, to level at 9-9.

The Frenchwoman eventually cracked, however, in the 30th game when she was broken at love after almost four hours on court.

Tomorrow's action features the reverse singles, and finishes with doubles, when Alize Cornet and Pauline Parmentier are down to face Czechs Barbora Strycova and Lucie Hradecka if required.

However, French captain Amelie Mauresmo could send out Garcia and Mladenovic in the doubles in the best of five competition.

The pair have previously won the French Open together and came from a set down to win the decisive rubber against The Netherlands which secured them their place in the final.