The host nation cruised through to Saturday’s final with an easy 3-0 win over Taiwan, finishing out a clean sweep of their three Group B ties.

The Kiwis had a tougher time in Group A, defeating Indonesia 2-1 when Marina Erakovic and Kairangi Vano defeated Ayu Fani Damayanti and Sandy Gumulya in the deciding doubles rubber, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, after the singles matches were split.

The winner of Saturday’s final will advance to the World Group II play-off in April -- one step closer to the elite World Group competition.

The Australians enjoyed the luxury of being able to rest in-form Jelena Dokic for their ties against Taiwan, who were not at full strength with two top players not able to be in Perth.

Casey Dellacqua got the nod to replace Dokic, and took advantage of the opportunity by dominating Hwang I-Hsuan 6-1, 6-1.

World number 43 Samantha Stosur then demolished Chan Chin-Wei 6-3, 6-0 to seal the tie win, before the Australian pairing of Rennae Stubbs and Stosur won the dead doubles rubber 6-3, 7-6 (7/2).

Australian captain David Taylor said he wouldn’t announce his line-up for Saturday’s final until an hour before the tie.

But it appeared almost certain the resurgent Dokic, who had won both her singles matches here in straight sets after reaching the quarter-finals at the Australian Open, and Stosur would play singles in the final.

The home team will be heavily favoured but Stosur said the Kiwis, who will be led by the 57th-ranked Erakovic and have not beaten Australia in four previous Fed Cup encounters, would be a tough opponent.

"I have played New Zealand’s number one player a couple of times and had good success against her," she said of Erakovic.

"But she is a good player, around 50 in the world, and it’s going to be hard for me.

"We are not going to be complacent -- the job isn’t done."

Erakovic was part of the New Zealand team that was beaten by Uzbekistan in last year’s Zone final.

Also on Saturday, the bottom nations from the respective groups, Taiwan and India, will play to see who will be relegated to Asia/Oceania Zone Group II in 2010.

India have sorely missed the services of new Australian Open mixed doubles champion Sania Mirza, who was a late withdrawal with an abdominal strain, and the loser’s place will be taken by the promoted Kazakhstan.

They beat Hong Kong 3-0 yesterday to win Group II as the only unbeaten side.

At the other end of the scale, a hopelessly outclassed Iran finished bottom of the group in their first Fed Cup appearance since 1972, failing to win a match and winning just three games in six singles matches.