TOKYO (AFP) - Former world number one Amelie Mauresmo got France off to a flying start as they took a 2-0 lead over Japan in the Fed Cup play-off tie for the World Group on Saturday.

The 2006 Wimbledon and Australian Open champion needed just 58 minutes to beat up-and-coming Ayumi Morita 6-0, 6-2, and Virginie Razzano made it two up by beating former world doubles number one Ai Sugiyama 6-1, 7-5.

"I played a good match," said Mauresmo. "She (Morita) was probably a little bit tight, playing this first match today, opening this tie at home for her.

"I just felt comfortable out there and I'm happy to take France to have the first point and lead 1-0."

Mauresmo took the first nine games and when Morita finally found her rhythm, it was already too late to come back into the match as the Frenchwoman stood firm on serve.

"I was expecting her to really try to play with a lot of speed, picking the ball up pretty early and moving me around," said Mauresmo.

"I just tried to take every opportunity that I would have and not make too many unforced errors, which I was able to do. I also try to play good in my service games. On this very fast surface, it's important," she added.

Morita, 18, admitted she was tense at the start because it was the first time she had played an opening match in the Fed Cup.

"Amelie combined some fast balls with slow ones by hitting slices and then suddenly hit hard for a winner," said Morita.

"I was tight and I often mis-hit my strokes, which always didn't get past the net or went long. I couldn't control anything at all."

In the second match, Razzano, who shocked Wimbledon champion Venus Williams to win the Japan Open in October on the same centre court here, had to calm herself down after taking the first set and gaining a 4-1 lead in the second.

The Frenchwoman's opponent Sugiyama reeled off four straight games to take a 5-4 lead.

But after saving one set point in the 10th game, Razzano won that game and took two more, although missing three match points before finally beating Sugiyama in an 88-minute battle.

"After 4-1 for me, I knew I was close to finishing the match, but I was a little bit tired and she started to play better, she was more aggressive and I wasn't," said Razzano.

"I knew if I want to win the set, I must be aggressive as I was in the first set and a half and I came back and played my game. It was good for me," she added.

French team captain Georges Goven added: "The end of the match was very close, but Virginie was able to take her chance."