Next tie Japan will compete in Asia/Oceania Zone Group I for the second consecutive year in 2011, having narrowly missed promotion in 2010.
Last tie Japan was defeated 4-1 by Slovenia in the World Group II play-offs in Maribor. Before the tie got under way, Katarina Srebotnik and Kimiko Date-Krumm were presented with Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Heart Awards, following their Zone Group efforts in February.
History Japan is a former Fed Cup semifinalist, having reached the last four in 1996. A year later, Japan’s World Group first round tie against France entered the record books on three counts - most number of games in a tie (162) and joint most number of games in a rubber (54) and set (32), when Nathalie Tauziat defeated Naoko Sawamatsu 75 46 1715.