Pacific Oceania have been relegated in Fed Cup tennis competition after failing to win a game in Asia/Oceania Zone Group One.
The regional side were swept 3-0 by South Korea in their final pool match in Astana, Kazakhstan on Friday to finish bottom of Pool B, consigning them to automatic relegation back to Group Two in 2020, after earlier 3-0 defeats by China and Indonesia.
Carol Lee from the Northern Marianas was beaten 6-2 6-1 by Su Jeong Jang in the opening singles rubber, in her first appearance of the tournament.
Violet Apisah (PNG), Carol Lee (CNMI), Abigail Tere-Apisah (PNG) and Steffi Carruthers (SAM) at the Fed Cup dinner in Astana, Kazakhstan. Photo: Facebook
Papua New Guinea's Abigail Tere-Apisah pushed Na-Lae Han to three sets before going down 1-6 7-5 3-6, before Lee and Samoa's Steffi Carruthers were dispatched 6-2 6-3 in the doubles.
Thailand were also relegated to Asia/Oceania Group Two after losing 2-1 to Indonesia in a playoff, while hosts Kazakhstan earned promotion to the World Group II play-offs in April after beating China 2-1.