Australia, New Zealand in Fed Cup Asia final
The host nation cruised through to Saturday’s final with an easy 3-0 win over Taiwan, finishing out a clean sweep of their three Group ‘B’ ties.
The Kiwis had a tougher time in Group ‘A’, defeating Indonesia 2-1 when Marina Erakovic and Kairangi Vano defeated Ayu Fani Damayanti and Sandy Gumulya in the deciding doubles rubber, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, after the singles matches were split. The winner of Saturday’s final will advance to the World Group II play-off in April – one step closer to the elite World Group competition.
The Australians enjoyed the luxury of being able to rest in-form Jelena Dokic for their ties against Taiwan, who were not at full strength with two top players not able to be in Perth.
Casey Dellacqua got the nod to replace Dokic, and took advantage of the opportunity by dominating Hwang I-Hsuan 6-1, 6-1.
World number 43 Samantha Stosur then demolished Chan Chin-Wei 6-3, 6-0 to seal the tie win, before the Australian pairing of Rennae Stubbs and Stosur won the dead doubles rubber 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).
Australian captain David Taylor said he wouldn’t announce his line-up for Saturday’s final until an hour before the tie.
But it appeared almost certain the resurgent Dokic, who had won both her singles matches here in straight sets after reaching the quarter-finals at the Australian Open, and Stosur would play singles in the final.
The home team will be heavily favoured but Stosur said the Kiwis, who will be led by the 57th-ranked Erakovic and have not beaten Australia in four previous Fed Cup encounters, would be a tough opponent.
Erakovic was part of the New Zealand team that was beaten by Uzbekistan in last year’s Zone final.
Also on Saturday, the bottom nations from the respective groups, Taiwan and India, will play to see who will be relegated to Asia/Oceania Zone Group II in 2010.
Results (day three):
Asia/Oceania Group I:
Group ‘A’:
New Zealand bt Indonesia 2-1: Ayu Fani Damayanti (Indonesia) bt Diane Hollands (New Zealand) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4); Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) bt Sandy Gumulya (Indonesia) 6-2, 6-4; Erakovic/Kairangi Vano (New Zealand) bt Damayanti/Gumulya (Indonesia) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
Uzbekistan bt India 3-0: Albina Khabibulina (Uzbekistan) bt Sanaa Bhambri (India) 6-1, 7-5; Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzbekistan) bt Ankita Bhambri (India) 6-4, 6-4; Vlada Ekshibarova/Alexandra Kolesnichenko (Uzbekistan) bt Ankita Bhambri/ Rushmi Chakravarthi (India) 6-2, 7-5.
New Zealand finish top of Group ‘A’ and qualify for final. India finish bottom of Group ‘A’ and will play in the relegation match, the losers dropping to Group II in 2010.
Group ‘B’:
Australia bt Taiwan 3-0: Casey Dellacqua (Australia) bt Hwang I-Hsuan (Taiwan) 6-1, 6-1; Samantha Stosur (Australia) bt Chan Chin-Wei (Taiwan) 6-3, 6-0; Rennae Stubbs/Stosur (Australia) bt Chan/Chuang Chia-Jung (Taiwan) 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).
Thailand bt South Korea 3-0: Suchanun Viratprasert (Thailand) bt Lee Jin-A (Korea) 7-6 (7-5), 6-1; Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) bt Lee Ye-Ra (Korea) 6-0, 6-4; Noppawan Lertcheewakarn/Varatchaya Wongteanchai (Thailand) b Change Kyung Mi/Yu Min-Hwa (Korea) 6-2, 6-2.
Australia finish top of Group ‘B’ and qualify for the final. Taiwan finish bottom of Group ‘B’ and will play in the relegation match, the losers dropping to Group II in 2010.
Asia/Oceania Group II:
Singapore bt Iran 3-0: Celina Cassandra Goetti (Singapore) bt Ghazaleh Torkaman (Iran) 6-2, 6-1; Tan Li Yun (Singapore) bt Shadi Tabatabaei (Iran) 6-0, 6-0; Hui Carolyn Ann Lim/Si Ying Julienne Keong (Singapore) bt Tabatabaei/Madona Najarian (Iran) 6-2, 6-3.
Kazakhstan bt Hong Kong 3-0: Galina Voskoboeva (Kazakhstan) bt Yang Zi Jun (Hong Kong) 6-0, 7-6 (7-2); Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) bt Zhang Ling 6-2, 6-3 (Hong Kong); Voskoboeva/Valentina Starkova (Kazakhstan) bt Yang/Zhang (Hong Kong) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
Kazakhstan finish top of Group II and will be promoted to Group I in 2010.—AFP