Russia aim for back-to-back straight set wins

· Japan and Russia (including Soviet Union) have met six times at the World Cup. Russia won five of these encounters, Japan one.

· The only Japanese victory came in 1981 when they won in straight sets.

· The last World Cup encounter between Japan and Russia was in 1999 when Russia won 3-1.

· Japan and Russia last met at the 2015 World Grand Prix when Russia won in the final round (3-0).

· Hosts Japan beat Argentina 3-0 in their opening match at the 2015 World Cup.

· Japan have now won their last six matches in the competition and can equal their longest winning streak in the World Cup set between 1977-1981: seven wins.

· Japan have won 214 sets at the World Cup and can equal Cuba on a record 217 sets won. Cuba will play Argentina on the second day of the tournament.

· Japan have only once failed to win both their first two matches of a single edition of the World Cup. In 2011, they lost their first match before winning their second.

· Russia won their opening match of the World Cup against Dominican Republic without losing a set.

· The Russians can record back-to-back straight set wins in the competition for the first time since three in a row in 1999.

· Only China (81%) and Cuba (77%) have a better winning percentage than Russia (75%, including Soviet Union) in the World Cup coming into the second day of play.

· Nataliya Obmochaeva scored 24 points against Dominican Republic of which five were scored from blocks.