Kimberly Birrell helped Australia beat Colombia in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers

Brisbane (Australia) (AFP) - Australia swept past Colombia to end their bid to make the Billie Jean King finals on a winning note Saturday, but it was in vain after Kazakhstan had already qualified from their group.

Teenager Maya Joint crushed Yuliana Monroy 6-1, 6-0 in Brisbane before Kim Birrell sealed the tie with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Yuliana Lizarazo. Victory in the doubles concluded a 3-0 win.

“It’s always nice to get wins,” said Australia team captain Sam Stosur.

“Everyone went out wanting to finish the week on a high. They should all be very proud of what they did.”

The Elena Rybakina-led Kazakhstan had already beaten Australia and Colombia to make the eight-team finals in Shenzhen in September alongside hosts China and defending champions Italy.

While Australia and Colombia were consigned to the play-offs in November to determine who will be in the 2026 qualifiers, Saturday’s clash had ramifications.

The winner received extra ranking points, which will impact seeding order in the play-offs.

In Tokyo, Japan made a winning start in their bid to reach the finals, crushing Romania 3-0 with singles wins for Ena Shibahara and Moyuka Uchijima over Miriam Bulgaru and Anca Todoni respectively.

Japan face Canada on Sunday with the winner progressing to September’s showpiece in Shenzhen.

The current BJK Cup qualifiers feature six groups of three nations as the finals transition from a 12-team tournament to an eight-team set-up.

Britain face the Netherlands later Saturday with the winner advancing to the finals, while Ukraine are looking to tame Switzerland and ensure their qualification.

Spain and the Czech Republic also go head-to-head in Group B for a ticket to China while USA play their first match against Denmark in Bratislava in Group C which concludes on Sunday when the Americans face Slovakia.