The RTF beat Canada, who shocked defending champions France in the opening match of the event yesterday, 3-0 at the O2 Arena to get their Group A campaign off to the best possible start.

Daria Kasatkina put the RTF, the neutral team competing at the event under the terms of the sanctions imposed on Russia linked to the doping scandal, on the board with a dominant 6-3, 6-1 victory over Carol Zhao.

Tokyo 2020 mixed doubles gold medallist Anastasia Pavyluchenkova ousted Rebecca Marino 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to wrap up the win for the RTF.

Liudmila Samsonova and Veronika Kudermetova completed the clean sweep for the RTF by defeating Gabriela Dabrowski and Marino 6-3, 6-1.

The RTF will reach the semi-finals of the competition if they overcome France tomorrow.

Defeat sees Canada become the first team to be eliminated from the new-look event.

"Having the responsibility to win the first match for your nation, and then doing so, is great," said Kasatkina.

"I was ready to be nervous, which happened, but, in the end, I was able to fight my nerves and was emotionally better, especially in the second set.

"The most important thing is to get the point for the team."

In Group B, Australia beat Belgium at the tournament for the first time since 1984.

World number 412 Daria Gavrilova battled to a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 win against Greet Minnen, before Storm Sanders beat Elise Mertens 3-6, 7-6, 6-0.

Mertens and Minnen earned a consolation win in the doubles beating Sanders and Ellen Perez 6-2, 6-4.

In the evening matches Switzerland beat Germany 3-0 in Group D, with victory sealed when Belinda Bencic beat Angelique Kerber in three sets 5-7, 6-2, 6-2,

In Group C Slovakia beat the United States 2-1 in a contest that went the distance, with victory sealed for Slovakia in the doubles when Viktoria Kuzmova and Tereza Mihalikova beat Caroline Dolehide and Coco Vandeweghe 6-2, 6-7, 12-10.