Favourites Belgium got their Fed Cup campaign off to a flying start this evening whitewashing Germany 3-0 in their opening tie of the women's team tennis tournament.
Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin launched Belgium's bid for a maiden Fed Cup victory in style by easily winning their singles ties in straight sets.
Henin ousted Martina Muller in their Pool B tie 6-3, 6-1 in 73 minutes and was followed on court by Clijsters who took just 52 minutes to mete out the same 6-3, 6-1 treatment to Bianka Lamade.
Belgian duo Els Callens and Laurence Courtois however proved to be the weakest links in the Belgian attack dropping a set before coming away 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 winners against Lamade and Barbara Rittner in the doubles.
Belgium have never won the title and, with two top ten players, are favourites to do so in the absence of 17-time winners the United States who stayed away from the eight-nation tournament citing security fears.
"It's not easy to come from Munich and to play here straight away," said world number five Clijsters, who was defeated in the WTA Tour championships semi-finals last week by Lindsay Davenport.
"So it's good for the confidence to produce a high level on clay courts. It's good to have a win before we have to play the stronger teams."
Henin, ranked seven in the world, said the Belgians did not feel under pressure to win here.
"We're a good team but you have to play other good teams if you want to win."