World No.2 Iga Swiatek may have outlasted World No.4 Jasmine Paolini in a thrilling 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 second singles match on Monday in the semifinals of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals -- but it was the Italian who eventually got the final word and helped put her team through to Wednesday's championship.
Paolini and Sara Errani defeated Swiatek and Katarzyna Kawa 7-5, 7-5 in the third and deciding match to send four-time Billie Jean King Cup champions Italy through to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals final, where it will face either Great Britain or Slovakia, which play Tuesday.
Gold medalists Paolini and Errani had to battle hard to defeat the scratch Polish pairing, which had partnered up for the first time just days ago in the quarterfinals and defeated the Czech Republic to advance to the final four for the first time.
They saved three set points in the first set, and rallied from a 5-1 deficit in set two, to put Italy through to the final for a seventh time -- and second year in a row.
The Italians led 1-0 in the tie thanks to an upset for World No.78 Lucia Bronzetti over No.38 Magda Linette before Paolini and Swiatek took the court for their much-anticipated fourth all-time duel. Paolini had won just nine games in three previous head-to-head matches against Swiatek, but both she and Swiatek came into the match unbeaten in Malaga -- and the two-highest ranked players in the PIF WTA Rankings competing for their countries at the event played like it over the course over a thrilling 2 hours and 36 minutes.
From a break behind in the first set, Paolini won a set against Swiatek for the first time in four meetings -- matching Swiatek with eight winners, and fewer unforced errors, over the first nine games. The Italian continued to put the pressure on Swiatek over the course of the match -- she generated 16 break points in all over the course of three sets -- but the World No.2 continued to rise to the occasion each time.
She saved 13 of the 16 break points she faced in the match overall -- including all five in the second set -- before she broke Paolini for the first time since 2-2 in the opener at 5-4 to send the match the distance.
Later, after seeing Paolini draw even in the third set from 3-1 behind, Swiatek's continued easy service holds put pressure on Paolini serving second. And she eventually cracked in the match's final game, losing serve from 30-15 ahead.
Bronzetti had earlier gotten Italy off to a winning start with a 6-4, 7-6(3) win over Linette.
The Italian had won just three games the last time she faced off against Linette -- in the United Cup last year -- but led for almost the entire duration of Monday's match. From 3-3 in the first set, Bronzetti won seven of the next nine games -- but eventually needed to fight through a surge by the Pole late in the second set.
From 4-1 behind, Linette won four straight games, and was twice was a game away from forcing a third set, before Bronzetti squeaked out the win in a tiebreak.
The 26-year-old Bronzetti, in her seventh BJK Cup nomination, picked up her first singles win for Il Tricolore with her Linette was playing for the first time in three days after defeating Sara Sorribes Tormo in a 3-hour, 51-minute marathon in Poland's 2-0 win over Spain in the first round.
Sport is all about elation one minute and heartbreak the next. And what a heartbreak this turned out to be.
We came so close to making the final thanks to Iga this year. She was literally carrying the whole country and team on her back.
Winning all her matches in 3 sets and playing doubles.
Spending a total of over 10 hours on court in a span of 5 days.
A truly Herculean effort from let's face it Poland's MVP.
I honestly didn't expect much after Linette lost the first singles rubber, I had faith Iga would pull through (and she did so despite not having her best tennis) but I knew 2024 Olympic Champions Errani/Paolini would be a tough task.
A task that we actually almost pulled off.
Katarzyna Kawa and Iga Swiatek make for quite a formidable doubles team. It's been a real pleasure watching it these past days.
Iga seems so free playing doubles, despite the pressure you could really see the joy. Something she's been missing in the 2nd half of the season.
I saw Iga hit shot at net I've never seen her hit in singles.
If she can play with this type of freedom in 2025 we'll be in for a treat.
There's clearly still so much untapped skill and talent just needs the right person to nurture and encourage it. Hopefully Wim Fisette will be that man.
I'm sad they lost the 5/1 lead in the 2nd set (also having set points in the first) the match truly deserved to go to the wire and finish in a super tiebreak.
The quality was superb.
This will be a match I will look back on fondly despite the loss.
As a fan I could not have asked for more of a maximum effort than Iga showed here.
Today's singles match was Iga's 7th three set win of the year (one she won from a set down too)
Not a bad way to end the season honestly.
I can't help wondering if the result would have been different had coach David Celt chosen Frech over Linette (who clearly still hadn't fully recovered from the 4 hour marathon with Sorribes Tormo).
I understand he was going with Linette's experience overall but I'm sure even he will have some 2nd thoughts and regrets on that.
Thank you Iga for giving it your all and continuing to make my home country so damn proud. I hope you get to lie in bed and do nothing for at least a week. You deserve it.
May not have been the result you desired but a truly inspiring effort!.
Rest up champ,and here's to makng more historic moments in 2025!.
I for one already cannot wait.
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