Sania Mirza in action against Croatia’s Sanja Ancic in Perth on Wednesday. (AP)

Perth: India moved to the top of Group B with an upset 2-1 win over Croatia in the Hopma Cup team tennis championship on Wednesday.

Sania Mirza gave India a 1-0 lead with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Sanja Ancic before Mario Ancic, Sanja’s brother, came back to beat India’s Rohan Bopanna 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3). In the deciding mixed doubles, Mirza and Bopanna beat the Ancics 3-6, 6-3, 10-8.

“I’ve played in front of big crowds before, and I think that helped me,” Sania said of the support from a large number of flag-waving Indian fans at the Burswood Dome.

Meanwhile, singles victories by Lucie Safarova and Tomas Berdych helped give the Czech Republic a 2-1 win over Spain.

Safarova beat Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 while Berdych defeated Tommy Robredo 7-5, 6-1. With the result decided, Spain came back in the mixed doubles, beating Safarova and Berdych 7-5, 6-2.

India had upset the Czechs in their opening match on Sunday while Spain, which beat Croatia on Sunday, is at 1-1 after two matches in Group B.

In Group A on Thursday, France, 2-0, plays Russia, 1-1, while Australia, 1-1, takes on the United States, 0-2. Australian Nathan Healey will replace Mark Philippoussis, who is out for at least four to six weeks with a knee cartilage injury that requires surgery.

Berdych said he had been inspired by the form of his girlfriend Safarova in the opening match, which enabled him to repeat the result he achieved over Robredo at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

“The first set was so tough, we started the first game and it was so long that I thought we were going to be here until midnight,” Berdych said. “But (Lucie) was playing fantastic, she won a tough match and that helped me go to the court with confidence.”

Despite hitting 60 unforced errors in her match, Safarova was also able to convert four of nine break points.