Historic first win against Aussies on the cards in today's meeting in Dehli 
Favourites China and Australia lined themselves up for an expected winner-takes-all showdown at the 2005 Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group I Zonal ties in Delhi after both nations topped their round robin pools as anticipated. China handed out 3-0 thrashings to Kazakhstan, Singapore and a Mirza-less India, with none of its players coming close to dropping a set thus far, while Australia managed to fend off Korea, New Zealand, and Chinese Taipei following the sensational withdrawal of their top three players earlier.
In terms of Fed Cup play, China and Australia have met twice before - in a 1981 World Group Quarterfinal and a 1989 World Group 1st rounder. Australia had never lost so much as a set to the Chinese in those two previous meetings, with Wendy Turnbull leading the way in 1981 and Liz Smylie likewise in 1989.
Chinese number one, Li Na; number three, Zheng Jie; plus Olympic champions, Li Ting and Sun Tian-Tian, will be looking to propel China back to the World Group when they face a Samantha Stosur-led Aussie team later this afternoon for the lone World Group II playoff spot in July.
Following the pullout of world No. 9, Alicia Molik, veteran Nicole Pratt, and world doubles No. 3, Rennae Stubbs, the Aussie team is now dependent upon world No. 52, Samantha Stosur; No. 109, Evie Dominikovic; No. 236, Sophie Ferguson; and doubles No. 22, Bryanne Stewart.
On the contrary, the Chinese team is at full strength, minus second leading player, Pang Shuai, only. Both Li Na and Zheng Jie are ranked in the top-70 in singles and most would expect that in order for Australia to go through, Stosur would need to come up with big wins in both her singles rubbers. But to complicate matters, even if Stosur wins both singles against Li Na and Zheng Jie, it would be a stretch to look elsewhere for that third and final tie winning point unless Evie Dominikovic can conjure an upset win in either of her singles, as the doubles point seemed a foregone conclusion for the reigning Olympic gold medallists.
In the absence of it's five leading players – Chuang Chia-Jung, Chan Chin-Wei, Chan Yung-Jan, Hsieh Su-Wei and Janet Lee – Taiwan lost all three of their pool matches by the score of 3-0 and will have to contend with Kazakhstan with the losers dropping down to Asia/Oceania Zone Group II in 2006. Likewise, New Zealand will have to face Singapore to decide which nation gets to maintain their Asia/Oceania Zone Group I status for next year's competition.
Results
Fed Cup 2005 Asia/Oceania Zone Group I
New Delhi, India
20-23 April 2005
Pool A: China, India, Singapore, Kazakhstan.
Pool B: Australia, Korea, Chinese Taipei, New Zealand.
Pool A
20 April
China d. Kazakhstan 3-0
Zheng Jie (CHN) d. Tatyana Ignatchenko (KAZ) 6-2 6-2
Li Na (CHN) d. Mariya Kovaleva (KAZ) 6-0 6-1
Li Ting/Sun Tian-Tian (CHN) d. Mariya Kovaleva/Ekaterina Morozova (KAZ) 6-1 6-2
India d. Singapore 3-0
Ankita Bhambri (IND) d. Lee Wei Ping (SIN) 6-1 7-5
Shikha Uberoi (IND) d. Cassandra Ng Yun-Ling (SIN) 6-0 6-0
Shikha Uberoi/Rushmi Chakravarthi (IND) d. Cassandra Ng Yun-Ling/Ong Shao Fang (SIN) 6-1 6-1
21 April
China d. Singapore 3-0
Zheng Jie (CHN) d. Lee Wei Ping Lee (SIN) 6-1 6-1
Li Na (CHN) d. Ong Shao Fang (SIN) 6-0 6-0
Li Ting/Sun Tian-Tian (CHN) d. Lee Wei Ping Lee/Cassandra Ng Yun-Ling (SIN) 6-0 6-1
India d. Kazakhstan 3-0
Ankita Bhambri d. Ekaterina Morozova (KAZ) 6-0 6-1
Shikha Uberoi (IND) d. Mariya Kovaleva (KAZ) 6-0 6-4
Ankita Bhambri/Shikha Uberoi (IND) d. Mariya Kovaleva/Ekaterina Morozova (KAZ) 6-4 6-4
22 April
China d. India 3-0
Zheng Jie (CHN) d. Rushmi Chakravarthi (IND) 6-3 6-0
Li Na (CHN) d. Shikha Uberoi (IND) 6-1 6-2
Li Ting/Sun Tian-Tian (CHN) d. Ankita Bhambri/Ankita Bhambri 6-2 6-3
Kazakhstan d. Singapore 2-1
Lee Wei Ping (SIN) d. Tatyana Ignatchenko (KAZ) 2-6 6-3 6-4
Mariya Kovaleva (KAZ) d. Ong Shao Fang (SIN) 6-2 6-4
Mariya Kovaleva/Ekaterina Morozova (KAZ) d. Lee Wei Ping Lee/Cassandra Ng Yun-Ling (SIN) 6-2 6-0
Final Positions: 1. China 2. India 3. Kazakhstan 4. Singapore.
Pool B
20 April
Australia d. New Zealand 3-0
Evie Dominikovic (AUS) d. Leanne Baker (NZL) 6-2 6-3
Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Marina Erakovic (NZL) 6-4 6-4
Evie Dominikovic/Bryanne Stewart (AUS) d. Marina Erakovic/Paula Marama (NZL) 6-7(7) 6-1 6-4
Korea d. Chinese Taipei 3-0
Lee Ye-Ra (KOR) d. Wang Ting-Wen (TPE) 6-2 6-0
Kim Jin-Hee (KOR) d. Chen Yi (TPE) 6-2 6-1
Chang Kyung-Mi/Lee Jin A-Lee (KOR) d. Chao Hsiao-Han/Lu Yen-Hua (TPE) 6-4 6-1
21 April
Australia d. Chinese Taipei 3-0
Sophie Ferguson (AUS) d. Chao Hsiao-Han (TPE) 6-1 6-2
Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Chen Yi (TPE) 6-0 6-2
Samantha Stosur/Bryanne Stewart (AUS) d. Lu Yen-Hua/Wang Ting-Wen (TPE) 6-1 6-3
Korea d. New Zealand 2-1
Lee Ye-Ra (KOR) d. Leanne Baker (NZL) 6-4 3-6 6-4
Marina Erakovic (NZL) d. Kim Jin-Hee (KOR) 6-1 6-4
Chang Kyung-Mi/Kim Jin-Hee (KOR) d. Eden Marama/Paula Marama (NZL) 2-6 6-3 7-5
22 April
Australia d. Korea 2-1
Evie Dominikovic (AUS) d. Lee Ye-Ra (KOR) 6-0 4-6 6-3
Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Kim Jin-Hee (KOR) 6-3 7-5
Chang Kyung-Mi/Lee Jin-A (KOR) d. Sophie Ferguson /Bryanne Stewart (AUS) 7-5 7-6(4)
New Zealand d. Chinese Taipei 3-0
Paula Marama (NZL) d. Lu Yen-Hua (TPE) 6-3 6-2
Marina Erakovic (NZL) d. Chen Yi (TPE) 6-2 6-3
Eden Marama/Leanne Baker (NZL) d. Wang Ting-Wen/Chao Hsiao-Han (TPE) 6-0 6-4
Final Positions: 1. Australia 2. Korea 3. New Zealand 4. Chinese Taipei
Facts & Figures
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