Japan, minus Sugiyama, to with Kazakhstan

Japan, minus Sugiyama, to with Kazakhstan
PTI/AFP

Tokyo, April 28: Favourites Japan toyed with rising Kazakhstan, notching up a 3-0 win to keep its slate clean while China from the other pool ensured their place in the World Group play-off in the Asia Oceania Group I Fed Cup tennis championship in Osaka on Friday.

Tamarine Tanasugarn beat Tong Ka-Po 6-3 6-4 to give Thailand an unbeatable 2-0 lead after Napaporn Tongsalee had put them ahead through a thrilling three-setter. Tongsalee defeated Olivia Graveraux 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 11-9.

PARIS: France's women put their Russian counterparts firmly in their place in World Group C with a 3-0 victory.

Sandrine Testud struck first for the visitors, recording a 6-1 6-4 win over a lacklustre Elena Likhovtseva who seemed strangely out of sorts here. Next came Julie Halard-Decugis who had to work harder against Russia's much photographed but not so often victorious Anna Kournikova.

This was a tighter match but in the end, the Frenchwoman won easily enough, 6-2 2-6 6-1.

And France rubbed salt in to the wound with a sound performance in the doubles with Halard-Decugis and Nathalie Tauziat sinking the hapless Kournikova and Likhovtseva 6-3 7-6 (7-5).

Earlier in Pool C, Belgium snatched a surprise 2-1 win over Australia in a suspense-filled tie. The two teams were equal following the opening singles games, but everything came down to the decisive doubles.

The first point of the tie was won by Belgium when Laurence Courtois beat Nicole Pratt in three sets. After charging to an easy 6-1 win in the first set, the Belgian let her opponent take the second 6-2, before struggling a bit before finally finishing off the game 7-5.

The second singles tie was between teen sensations 17-year-old Jelena Dokic of Australia and 16-year-old Kim Clijsters of Belgium, who battled for two hours, 25 minutes before the Australian secured a difficult 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 9-7 victory with the third set lasting 62 minutes.

In the decisive doubles, Australian duo of Alicia Molik and Rennae Stubbs looked as if they would easily win the tie when they rushed to win the first set 6-1.

However, their Belgian opponents Laurence Courtois and Els Callens came back strongly winning the second 6-0. Down 4-1 in the final set, the Australians looked totally overpowered, before rallying and forcing the Belgians to eight match points. But the Belgians finally nailed victory 10-8.

In Group A, Spain were equally ruthless, defeating Italy 3-0 even though their opponents had the home advantage in a tie played at Bari. Experienced campaigners Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Conchita Martinez defeated Giulia Casoni and Tathian Gerbin respectively in the singles and then Casoni and Rita Grande fell to Cristina Torrens-Valero and Magui Serna in the doubles.

Germany beat Croatia 2-1 in the other tie at Bari in the same pool.

In Group B, the Czech Republic posted a 2-1 win over Austria at Bratislava while Switzerland had a winning 2-0 lead over hosts Slovakia at Bratislava.