For the second straight year, Japan has booked a spot in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
The global women's tennis national team competition has now been whittled down to eight teams for the finals, with Japan joining reigning champion Italy, host China, Great Britain, Kazakhstan, Spain, Ukraine and the United States.
On Sunday, April 13, Japan defeated Canada 2-1 in their high-pressure Group A tie at Tokyo's Ariake Colosseum. In the doubles decider, Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama posted a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 decision over Kayla Cross and Rebecca Marino to clinch the victory.
Earlier Sunday, Japan's Moyuka Uchijima prevailed 6-3, 6-3 over Marina Stakusic to even the tie.
"I'm very happy that I was able to win the match and play my own game," world No 60 Uchijima told reporters after the match.
Canada took a 1-0 lead after the first singles match of the day. Victoria Mboko topped Shibahara 6-4, 6-7 (8-10), 7-5.
That put the pressure on Uchijima, but she kept Japan's hopes alive by winning in straight sets.
Excitement for Team Japan
Looking ahead to September, Japan captain Ai Sugiyama expressed excitement.
"This is not the end," she said, according to the Billie Jean King Cup website. "We're really looking forward to going to Shenzhen."
Sugiyama commended her team for overcoming Canada.
"It feels great," Sugiyama told reporters. "The first match [didn't go] our way. In the second match, Moyuka played really great, and then the doubles could go either way and we fought for every point. We got through and it was an unbelievable day."
Japan swept Romania in anther Group A tie on Saturday.
Billie Jean King Cup Info
The 2025 BJK Cup Finals are set for September 16-21 in Shenzhen, China.
Japan made its debut in the tournament in 1964, when it was known as the Federation Cup. It was launched the previous year.
The Federation Cup was renamed the Fed Cup in 1995, then became the Billie Jean King Cup in 2020 in honor of the legendary American player.
In 2024, Japan lost in the quarterfinals to Italy. Japan had its best result in the tournament in 1996, advancing to the semifinals.
Golf
Matsuyama Finishes Tied for 21st at the Masters
After carding a 7-over 79 in the third round of the Masters, Hideki Matsuyama bounced back with his best 18-hole effort of the tournament on Sunday, April 13. He shot a 6-under 72, including seven birdies, in the final round and finished tied for 21st at 2-under 286 in Augusta, Georgia.
"I wanted to make up for what I shot yesterday, but I missed a par putt on the par 4-18th, so it was a frustrating end to the day," Matsuyama was quoted as saying by Nikkan Sports.
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy beat England's Justin Rose on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff after both golfers were tied for the lead at 11-under 277 when the fourth round concluded. As a result, McIlroy became the first man since Tiger Woods in 2000 to complete the career Grand Slam.
Table Tennis
Hashimoto, Matsushima Claim WTT Contender Series Titles in China
Honoka Hashimoto defeated Chinese opponent Yuling Zhu 11-8, 11-5, 11-8, 11-5 in the women's singles final at the World Table Tennis Contender Series tournament in Taiyuan, China, on Sunday.
Hashimoto, 26, wrapped up the title-clinching win in 38 minutes.
Also on Sunday, Japanese teenager Sora Matsushima triumphed in the men's singles final in Taiyuan. He conquered top-seeded Jaehyun An of South Korea in their seven-game clash (11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-10).
With a determined effort against An, the 17-year-old Matsushima earned his first Contender Series title.
The Contender Series is the bottom tier of the WTT organizational structure.
Basketball
Grizzlies' Kawamura Pours in 12 Points in Season Finale
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Yuki Kawamura scored an NBA career-high 12 points in a 132-97 victory over the visiting Dallas Mavericks in the teams' regular-season finale on Sunday, April 13.
Kawamura also grabbed five rebounds and handed out five assists while playing a season-high 28 minutes. His previous career high was 10 points in 11 minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder on December 29, 2024.
Memphis (48-34) wrapped up the regular season as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies advanced to the NBA Play-In Tournament and will face the Golden State Warriors (48-34), the No 7 seed, on Tuesday in San Francisco.
Kawamura capitalized on increased playing time, with several Grizzlies regulars getting the day off.
The 23-year-old Kawamura averaged 1.1 points, 0.7 assists and 3.1 minutes in 21 NBA games this season. On a two-way contract with the Grizzlies, the former Yokohama B.Corsairs star also appeared in 24 games for the NBA G League's Memphis Hustle, contributing 12.4 points and 7.8 assists per game.
Did You Know?
Sunrockers Shibuya guard Leo Vendrame became the second player in B.League history to appear in 500 games. The 31-year-old basketball player reached the milestone on Sunday, April 13 against the host Chiba Jets.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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