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Osaka not needed as Japan reach BJK Cup finals for first time
Naomi Osaka was not required to play after teammate Nao Hibino sent Japan to their first Billie Jean King Cup finals on Saturday with an unassailable 3-0 qualifying lead over Kazakhstan.
Japan are heading to Seville! ✈️
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) April 13, 2024
They become the second team to book their place in the #BJKCup Finals 🤩#BJKCup | @JTA_PR_Team pic.twitter.com/SC6Gpskvrv
Former world No 1 and four-time major winner Osaka was appearing at the competition for the first time since 2020 and won her opening singles game on Friday.
But she did not need to play a second time after Hibino clinched Japan's spot in November's finals with a hard-fought 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7) win over world number 50 Yulia Putintseva.
Hibino fended off four straight match points for Putintseva before coming back to win the third-set tiebreaker.
It was the world number 79's second singles victory of the tie after dispatching Anna Danilina 6-1, 6-0 in under an hour on the opening day.
Osaka beat Putintseva 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) on Friday, hitting 15 aces and no double faults.
It was her first match in Japan since appearing at the Pan Pacific Open in September 2022.
Kazakhstan were without world No 4 Elena Rybakina, who lost in the final of the Miami Open last month.
The BJK Cup finals will be held in Seville.
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