The United States drew first blood on Friday as they looked to avoid an unprecedented third straight Solheim Cup defeat in Germany.
European captain Carin Koch put her highest-ranked pairing of Suzann Pettersen and Anna Nordqvist out first in the morning foursomes, but saw them make just one birdie in losing 3&2 to Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer.
World number eight Pettersen struggled from the outset, hitting a wild approach on the first from the middle of the fairway, and, although the European pair got back on level terms on the fourth, they never led at any time and lost four out of seven holes from the seventh.
A belated birdie on the 14th gave the home duo a glimmer of hope, but pars on the next two holes were enough for the off-form Creamer and Pressel to justify the faith of their captain Juli Inkster.
English pair Melissa Reid and Charley Hull were one up with three to play in match two against Michelle Wie and Brittany Lincicome, with Azahara Munoz and Karine Icher fighting back from a four-hole deficit to just one down with three to play against Lexi Thompson and Cristie Kerr.
In the final match, Germany's Sandra Gal and Scotland's Catriona Matthew were two up with five to play against world number three Stacy Lewis and Lizette Salas.
Source: PA
