"Obviously I'm happy to win this tie. It's very important to us, to me and to the whole team," said Mauresmo.
Mauresmo, who has never lost to Sugiyama in their previous eight encounters on the tour, was never in trouble, although she was once tied at 4-all in the second set.
"Obviously I'm happy to win this tie. It's very important to us... "
Amelie Mauresmo |
"I'm very, very satisfied with the way I played," said Mauresmo.
"Right from the beginning I really controlled the points and I was able to read her game pretty well and really make the difference with my serve.
"I know from the baseline I was able to move her round. I'm just happy. I think it was a good match."
Sugiyama admitted her backhand was vulnerable, while Mauresmo has a varied range of shots, including effective back-handed slices.
Sugiyama frustrated
"I was very disappointed that Japan's defeat was decided by my match. I was so frustrated because I had several chances in the second set," said Sugiyama, ranked 37th against Mauresmo's 21st.
"I've had taken some match points against Amelie, but I've never beaten her before.
"Even when I hit some good backhand shots, I couldn't attack when she sent the ball to my forehand. I was always slow."
On Saturday, Mauresmo overwhelmed up-and-coming teenager Ayumi Morita 6-0, 6-2, while Japan Open champion Razzano fended off a late challenge by Sugiyama to win 6-1, 7-5.
France also beat Japan 5-0 in last year's World Group first round tie in Limoges, France.
In eight Fed Cup meetings they have only lost once to Japan, in 1973.
France were in the relegation play-offs after surprisingly going down 3-2 to China in February, a tie in which Mauresmo was not playing.