Japan won the decisive doubles match to beat Romania 2-1 in the inaugural match of the Billie Jean King Cup in Malaga.
Ana Bogdan beat Nao Hibino 6-2 6-4 in the first singles match to give Romania a 1-0 lead.
Bogdan came into the match with a 4-1 in her five head-to-head matches against Hibino.
Bogdan broke Hibino twice to win five consecutive games in the first set. The Romanian player earned the decisive break in the third game with a backhand passing shot.
Bogdan two break points in the eighth game before serving out the win on her second match point. The Romanian player beat Hibino for the fifth time in their six head-to-head matches.
Ena Shibahara beat Jaqueline Cristian 6-4 7-6 (7-2) to send the clash between Romania and Japan into a decisive doubles match.
Shibahara, who replaced injured Naomi Osaka, had never beaten anyone ranked inside the tpp 80.
Cristian saved three break points in the second game of the opening set. The Japanese player earned her first break in the 10th game to seal the first set 6-4. Cristian broke in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Shibahara broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. After a trade of mini-breaks Shibahara won five consecutive points to win the tie-break 7-2.
Shuko Aoyama and Eri Hozama beat Monica Niculescu and Elena Gabriela Ruse 6-1 7-5 in the decisive doubles match. Aoyama and Hozama broke twice in the fourth and sixth games and served out on their set point. Aoyama and Hozama broke serve at love in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. Niculescu and Ruse saved two match points, as they were serving to stay in the match before breaking back in the 10th game to draw level to 5-5. Aoyama and Hozama broke in the 11th game to take a 6-5 lead and served out the win with a hold at love.
Japan will take on Italy in the quarter final.
