Paris (France) (AFP) – Two-time defending champions Italy won Saturday’s decisive doubles rubber to sweep into the Billie Jean King Cup finals as the United States were dumped out by Belgium, with Ukraine, Spain, Britain, Czech Republic, and Kazakhstan all also advancing.
Olympic champions Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini sealed the winning point for Italy with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Japan’s Shuko Aoyama and Eri Hozumi on clay at Velletri, south of Rome. Paolini and Elisabetta Cocciaretto had given the hosts a 2-0 overnight advantage.
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Last year’s runners-up the USA — the record 18-time winners — were beaten 3-1 by Belgium. The Americans dragged themselves back into the tie with Caty McNally and Nicole Melichar’s doubles win after losing both singles matches on Friday. But Greetje Minnen surprised world number 16 Iva Jovic 7-5, 6-3 as Belgium booked a return to the finals, to be held in Shenzhen in September, for the first time since 2022.
In Melbourne, Harriet Dart and Jodie Burrage won the doubles rubber to power Britain past Australia. Britain started the day with a commanding 2-0 lead after teenager Mika Stojsavljevic upset Talia Gibson and Dart beat Kimberly Birrell on day one. It left Australia’s Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez facing a must-win clash in Melbourne, but they failed to rise to the occasion and were beaten 6-3, 6-4.
“That feels amazing,” said an emotional Burrage who has battled injuries in recent times. “I’m proud of us for the way that we played, way that we came out and managed to close that out.” It was an impressive victory with none of Britain’s top four making the long trip, with Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter, and Fran Jones opting to focus on the European clay-court season and Sonay Kartal injured.
Belinda Bencic missed three match points in the fourth rubber of Switzerland’s tie with the Czech Republic before Marie Bouzkova gave the Czechs a thrilling 3-2 win by defeating Viktorija Golubic. Bencic saw three chances to send Switzerland to the finals come and go in a deciding set tie-break before losing 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (11/9) to Linda Noskova. Bouzkova then sealed the seven-time winners’ overall victory by seeing off Golubic 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.
Twins Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok gave Ukraine an unassailable 3-0 lead after the doubles in the southern Polish city of Gliwice. Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina won Friday’s singles. Overnight, Slovenia and Spain had been tied 1-1 on clay in Portoroz. But Aliona Bolsova and Sara Sorribes Tormo teamed up to win the doubles. Kaitlin Quevedo then rallied past Veronika Erjavec 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 to seal the winning point for Spain.
Kazakhstan won 3-1 against Canada after former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu lost her reverse singles tie 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 7-6 (7/4) to Yulia Putintseva. Andreescu had pulled Canada level 1-1 on Friday. But Anna Danilina and Zhibek Kulambayeva beat Andreescu and Cross 7-5, 6-1 in Saturday’s doubles.
© 2024 AFP
