Golovin gives France victory over Japan

LIMOGES, France, Apr 22 (Reuters) Tatiana Golovin today beat Ai Sugiyama to give France victory over Japan in their Fed Cup quarter-final.

Golovin, France's number one in the absence of Amelie Mauresmo who is recovering from appendicitis, won 7-6 6-0 in one hour 44 minutes to take France to a winning 3-0 lead.

The French went on to whitewash Japan 5-0 and go through to a semi-final meeting with defending champions Italy in July.

Golovin struggled in the first set, losing her serve in the first game and breaking back only when the Japanese number one served for the set at 6-6. The Frenchwoman won the tiebreak 7-3.

Sugiyama, a former top-10 player now ranked 27, cracked in the second set.

''I went through a lot of emotion as always in the Fed Cup,'' the 19-year-old Golovin, who climbed to 18th place in the rankings after winning her first WTA tournament in Amelia Island earlier this month, told a news conference.

''The first set was very tense. I made a lot of errors but I won it because I was stronger mentally. Right now, it's a relief for all of us. All our team work paid off.'' Yesterday, Golovin beat Akiko Morigami 6-2 6-4 and Nathalie Dechy defeated Sugiyama 7-5 6-1.

In today's two dead matches, Virginie Razzano beat Morigami 7-6 1-6 6-2 and Dechy teamed up with Severine Bremond to defeat Ayumi Morita and Sugiyama 6-1 6-2 in the doubles.

Captain Georges Goven said France faced a difficult semi-final against Italy, who beat them in the first round last year.

''I hope Amelie will be back and all the girls will be fit so we'll be able to field our best players to beat the Italians on their court,'' he told reporters.

''It will not be an easy task but I said from the start that we had the means to go all the way because we have good players, with great team spirit and talent,'' he added.

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