“Honestly, I’m so overwhelmed by the emotions, so happy,” Pera said. "I had so much fun with the team, the girls are amazing, I got so much support from all of them and I’m super happy.”
The U.S., which beat Denmark 3-0 on Saturday, topped Group C.
Japan advances
Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama defeated Canadians Kayla Cross and Rebecca Marino 6-3, 5-7 6-2 in the decisive doubles match in Group A to secure Japan a spot in the finals.
Canada had taken a 1-0 lead when Victoria Mboko defeated Shibahara 6-4, 6-7 (8), 7-5. Japan evened the tie with Moyuka Uchijima beating Marina Stakusic 6-3, 6-3 in the second singles.
“I’m really happy that I got the doubles done today,” Shibahara said.
The BJK Cup Finals will be played in Shenzhen in September, when Japan will be making its second consecutive finals appearance and will try to match its best-ever performance. It reached the semifinals in 1996.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis