Annika Sorenstam and Laura Davies, the top two points-scorers in Solheim Cup history, were both beaten as holders America won the opening session 2½-1½ at Halmstad in Sweden.

Cold and windy conditions were thought to favour the home side - there was rain as well - but that was not the way it went in the morning foursomes. Sorenstam and Scot Catriona Matthew lost four and two to wild card pick Laura Diaz and Sherri Steinhauer, while Davies and debutant Becky Brewerton, the first Welsh player to appear in the event, went down two and one to Juli Inkster and Paula Creamer.

Europe’s only win came from the Swedish-French combination of Maria Hjorth and Gwladys Nocera - they beat Natalie Gulbis and 19-year-old Morgan Pressel three and two. The top game was halved, Norwegian Suzann Pettersen, Europe’s only current major champion, and Swede Sophie Gustafson were never ahead against reigning US Women’s Open champion Cristie Kerr and Pat Hurst, but in the end Kerr had to make an eight-footer to avoid defeat.

After the United States opened up a one-point lead and their captain Betsy King felt able to bring in her four other players for the afternoon fourballs. On the other hand Helen Alfredsson again rested German Bettina Hauert and Swede Linda Wessberg - and surprisingly omitted Pettersen.

Sorenstam did spark hopes of a revival when she chipped in at the ninth and she and Matthew won the next as well to draw level.

But Steinhauer and Diaz birdied the 11th and 13th for wins, shared the par five 14th in birdies when Steinhauer made a 20-footer and took the next after Diaz pitched to six feet. It ended after Matthew found the water short of the green on the short 16th - and minutes later Davies followed her in.

She and Brewerton, like Pettersen and Gustafson and also Sorenstam and Matthew, had never been in front, but had drawn all square by taking the 10th and 12th. The next three holes were shared, but after Davies’ blunder on the next the British duo double-bogeyed again at the 17th and shook hands.

Nocera and captain’s pick Hjorth won the first “against the head” when Hjorth, having hooked into the trees, then pitched to a foot and Pressel and Gulbis took three to get down from just short of the green.

The Americans also bogeyed to lose the seventh, did win the 11th, but then bogeyed again on the next and the 15th to fall three down. It was desperate stuff from them when they asked Nocera to make a two-footer for the match on the following green, but she made no mistake and so brought Europe back into the match.

Because of the time the morning games took afternoon tee-off times were pushed back 15 minutes - and that happened as conditions worsened.