France's Kristina Mladenovic celebrates after winning her Fed Cup semifinal singles tennis match against United States' Coco Vandeweghe, in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, Saturday, April 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)
The Associated Press
AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France (AP) - Kristina Mladenovic rallied to beat CoCo Vandeweghe 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 and draw France level with defending champion United States in their Fed Cup semifinal on Saturday.
The 20th-ranked Mladenovic dropped serve five times but broke No. 16 Vandeweghe's serve six times.
Earlier, U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens struggled to put away Pauline Parmentier 7-6 (3), 7-5 at the 6,700-capacity Arena Pays d'Aix on indoor clay.
Stephens saved five set points serving at 5-4 down in the first set, and rallied from 4-3 and a break down in the second set against Parmentier.
Both players made more than 50 unforced errors each in the scrappy 2 1/2-hour match, conceding 25 break-point chances between them.
Stephens converted four of her 11 break chances, while Parmentier took only three of her 14 chances.
The reverse singles are on Sunday, followed by a doubles featuring Mladenovic and Amandine Hesse against Madison Keys and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
The Americans hold an 11-2 winning record against the French, who won their most recent tie in 2014.
In the other semifinal, Germany trails the Czech Republic 2-0 in Stuttgart.
United States' team captain Kathy Rinaldi, right, and Coco Vandeweghe sit on a bench during their Fed Cup semifinal singles tennis match against France's Kristina Mladenovic, in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, Saturday, April 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)
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Sloane Stephens of USA celebrates after defeating Pauline Parmentier of France during the Fed Cup semifinal singles tennis match in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, Saturday, April 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)
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Sloane Stephens of USA returns the ball to Pauline Parmentier of France during the Fed Cup semifinal singles tennis match in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, Saturday, April 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)
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From left, United States' Fed Cup team members, captain Kathy Rinaldi, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, Coco Vandeweghe and Bethanie Mattek Sands, during the team presentation, prior to the Fed Cup semifinal, in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, Saturday, April 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)
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Pauline Parmentier of France reacts during the Fed Cup semifinal singles tennis match against Sloane Stephens of USA, in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, Saturday, April 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)
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United States' team captain Kathy Rinaldi celebrates as Sloane Stephens of USA plays Pauline Parmentier of France, during the Fed Cup semifinal singles tennis match, in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, Saturday, April 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)
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United States' team captain Kathy Rinaldi, left, hands Sloane Stephens a towel who is lying on the clay during her Fed Cup semifinal singles tennis match against Pauline Parmentier of France, in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, Saturday, April 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)
The Associated Press