Japan secured its first BNP Paribas World Team Cup quad title on Friday’s fifth and penultimate day of the ITF’s flagship wheelchair tennis team event in Ramat Hasaron, beating Israel 2-1 to deny the host nation what would have been the perfect ending to its campaign on home soil.

The final opened as all of Israel’s ties during the week had, with former world No. 1 and London 2012 quad singles gold medallist Noam Gershony dominating his singles rubber and beating Shota Kawano 6-0 6-4.

Although Israel has often had the option of resting its second former world No. 1 Shraga Weinberg in preparation for a potential doubles rubber, Weinberg took to the court to attempt to complete an Israel victory in front of a highly excited and vocal band of fans.

However, world No. 3 Koji Sugeno proved too strong for Weinberg and sealed the contest 6-2 6-3, thus ushering in another deciding doubles rubber.

Japan continued to rewrite the script that all Israeli fans would have wished for as Mitsuteru Moroishi and Sugeno fought back from 2-0 down in the second set of the doubles, Sugeno firing a forehand winner down the centre of the court on Japan’s second championship point to seal a 6-4 6-2 victory after an hour and 24 minutes.