Sonay Kartal impressed on debut to give Great Britain a 1-0 lead over Germany in Billie Jean King Cup qualifying.
Kartal weathered the big-hitting of an emotional Jule Niemeier to win 6-4 6-2 in the Netherlands.
World number 60 Kartal looked comfortable on the clay, moving well and often beating Niemeier in exchanges from the back of the court.
British number one Katie Boulter will look to seal the tie for GB when she faces Tatjana Maria in the second singles match, before Olivia Nicholls and Harriet Dart play Laura Siegemund and Anna-Lena Friedsam in the doubles.
Germany face an uphill battle to qualify having lost 3-0 to the Netherlands on Thursday.
GB face the Netherlands on Saturday, with the group winners advancing to September's eight-team finals.
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Kartal watched GB's triumph against France in last year's qualifiers from afar, having spent three months out with a health issue.
However, she has risen up the rankings in the past 12 months, clinching her first WTA title on the way.
A good mover on the clay, she played confidently in a first set that saw seven breaks of serve in 10 games, adjusting well to Niemeier's pace.
Kartal served for the opener at 5-3 but was broken, before two double faults from Niemeier handed the Briton the set.
Germany's Niemeier, heavily beaten against the Netherlands and struggling for form, covered her face with her towel at the end of the set as she became visibly upset.
Kartal reeled off five games in a row to lead Niemeier by a set and a break, redirecting the German's pace around the court, before serving out victory.
"I'm super proud of that debut match," Kartal said.
"It is obviously nerve-wracking when you're the first match on, but I'm proud of my performance."
