Fed Cup: Japan proves too strong for India

Japan powered to a 3-0 victory over India in the league phase of the Fed Cup Asia-Oceania women’s tennis tournament on Wednesday.

Ankita Raina failed to make a mark in the tie against Japan.

Misaki Doi and Naomi Osaka ranked 42 and 56 respectively powered Japan to a 3-0 victory over India in the league phase of the Fed Cup Asia-Oceania women’s tennis tournament here, on Wednesday.

After winning seven games between them in singles, Ankita Raina and Karman Kaur Thandi found it hard in the doubles as well, as they played Eri Hozumi and Shuko Aoyama, who were ranked 31 and 58 in doubles.

India will next play the formidable China before its last league match against Philippines. The latter gave a good account of itself even though it did not win a rubber against China.

The top teams from the two groups will play each other for a berth in the World Group-1 play-off while the bottom placed teams will face off to decide the team that would be relegated to Group-2.

The other pool has Korea and Thailand, apart from host Kazakhstan.

The results (league): Japan bt India 3-0 (Naomi Osaka bt Karman Kaur Thandi 6-2, 6-2; Misaki Doi bt Ankita Raina 6-0, 6-3; Shuko Aoyama & Eri Hozumi bt Ankita Raina & Karman Kaur Thandi 6-1, 6-3).