Poland falls short of BJK Cup final after a valiant effort vs Italy

 

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.

wtatennis.com

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. 

Iga Swiatek pulls double duty to give Poland historic semi finals at Billie Jean King Cup

 

Poland defeated the Czech Republic 2-1 in a come-from-behind quarterfinal tie at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, after World No.2 Iga Swiatek notched two must-win victories on Saturday in Malaga, Spain.

With the comeback, Poland has made the semifinals of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals for the first time in their nation's history. In the semifinals, they will take on Italy, who won their quarterfinal tie earlier on Saturday.

"In 20 minutes I’ll be dead, but now, let’s enjoy this," said Swiatek, once her day ended after 1:00 a.m. local time. "It was an exhausting day, really tough matches. But I’m really happy that we won the last one, that’s the most important thing."

The 11-time champion Czechs started the tie ahead 1-0 when Marie Bouzkova beat Poland's Magdalena Frech 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in Saturday's opening match.

But Swiatek held on for a 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-5 victory over hard-hitting Czech teen Linda Noskova to keep her Polish squad alive. Swiatek needed 2 hours and 39 minutes to fend off 26th-ranked Noskova, who was playing her first match since the US Open.

Just 30 minutes later, Swiatek came back onto court for her first Billie Jean King Cup doubles match since 2019. Swiatek partnered Katarzyna Kawa to a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Bouzkova and WTA Doubles World No.1 Katerina Siniakova, sending Poland into the Final Four.


"The whole team did an amazing job," Swiatek said on court. "I’m going to ask [Kawa] to teach me these forehands down the line, they’re amazing."

Saturday's tie started with Bouzkova holding off a stern challenge from Frech to give the Czech Republic the 1-0 lead. Bouzkova had no problems racing through the first set, and she had two break points to take an early 2-0 lead in the second set.

However, Frech fended those chances off, and she gradually pulled herself into contention. Frech, who finished the season in the Top 25 for the first time in her career, quickly broke Bouzkova for a 5-4 lead in the second set, which she served out routinely.

The third set pitted Frech's angles against Bouzkova's speed, with very little separating the players. At 5-4, Bouzkova's exceptional defense helped her take charge on Frech's serve, garnering a 0-40 lead and triple match point. Bouzkova needed only one chance, slamming a big backhand to earn the victory.

Thus, Swiatek came to court knowing she had to win to keep her team in contention. Swiatek led Noskova 3-1 in the head-to-head, including two wins this year, but Noskova's victory came on a huge occasion, when she ousted Swiatek in the third round of this year's Australian Open.

Noskova, who turns 20 years old on Sunday, spent her last day as a teenager pushing Swiatek to the limit. After the pair went back and forth in the first set, Swiatek served for the set at 6-5, only to see Noskova fire a backhand winner into the corner to break for 6-6.

In the tiebreak, Noskova was unnerved by a stretch return by Swiatek off of a powerful serve, and she misfired on the reply to give Swiatek a 5-3 advantage. At 5-4, Swiatek summoned two unreturned serves to take the one-set lead after 70 grueling minutes.

In the second set, neither player was pushed to deuce through 4-4, but Noskova eventually found amazing volleys to break for a 5-4 lead. The Czech closed out the second set with consecutive backhand winners, edging closer to a possible upset.

Another tight set settled affairs, with a 4-1 third-set lead for Swiatek being reeled back by Noskova all the way to 5-5. Swiatek reclaimed dominance with her forehand to hold on for 6-5 and force Noskova to serve to stay in the match.

In that game, Swiatek fired a rally forehand winner to earn two match points. On her second match point, Swiatek again found a stretch return winner, Noskova replied with a miscue once more, and the Pole ended up the narrow victor.

Swiatek subbed in for Frech in the decisive doubles, and despite the short turnaround time, she made a perfect match with Kawa. Swiatek's big hitting paired superbly with Kawa's return winners and deft volleys, and they took a commanding 6-2, 4-0 lead.

Bouzkova and top-ranked doubles player Siniakova refused to yield so easily, and they won four games in a row to make things competitive. But Swiatek sealed a quick hold for 5-4, then Kawa powered through another return game to break Bouzkova at love and finish Poland's comeback.

It was a big win for Kawa, who is now 4-3 in doubles action at the Billie Jean King Cup throughout her career. Like Noskova, Kawa's birthday is on Sunday -- the Pole turned 32 years old during her doubles victory.

wtatennis.com

What a fun day of tennis this turned into. An almost 7 hour battle for Poland to get through to their first ever semi finals at this event. 

Absolute elation. 

So proud of the way Iga fought today and handled the hard hitting of Linda Noskova, served magnificently too (at about 80 percent).

But the thing that brought me the most joy was seeing Iga playing women's doubles. So many people forgot how good she is in doubles (did make Roland Garros semis and finals in 2020 and 2021). 

I'm amazed at how well Iga handled the quick turn around of half an hour rest and the switch from singles to doubles. Her adaptability is another thing people don't give her enough credit for. All this and having to play until well after midnight (match finished around 1:15am). 

Only in Tennis.

Good thing they all have a day off tomorrow, because they'll need to catch up on their sleep.

Next up for Poland will be Italy and a meeting with Jasmine Paolini another fun one in store.

 

Jazda!

Iga Swiatek and Magda Linette clinch quarterfinals for Poland at Billie Jean King Cup

 

World No.2 Iga Swiatek and No.38 Magda Linette sealed a victory for Poland over Spain in the first round of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, giving them an insurmountable 2-0 lead.

The best-of-three tie was postponed from Wednesday due to a severe weather alert in the region. Linette opened the festivities with a marathon 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-4 defeat of Sara Sorribes Tormo in 3 hours and 51 minutes. Swiatek closed out the win by overcoming a second-set wobble to beat Badosa 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1.

"I wouldn't say I pushed us to quarterfinals," Swiatek said on court. "Magda played an amazing match in the morning. We both did it. I'm really happy that we finally won a match at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals."

Poland advances to the quarterfinals to face 11-time champions the Czech Republic on Saturday. After Karolina Muchova's withdrawal ahead of the event, the Czech squad will be comprised of Linda Noskova, Marie Bouzkova, Sara Bejlek and Katerina Siniakova.

Swiatek and Badosa had exchanged victories in two previous encounters, both in 2021. Badosa scored a 6-3, 7-6(4) upset at the Tokyo Olympic Games, but Swiatek avenged that loss 7-5, 6-4 at the WTA Finals Guadalajara. Initially, there was little between them as their third meeting got underway. For the first six games, the pair delivered a succession of thrilling, high-octane baseline exchanges, and neither gave ground on serve.

After Badosa double faulted down break point at 3-2, Swiatek rattled off seven straight games in dominant fashion to take a 3-0 second-set lead. But Badosa found her form again to fight back and send the set to a tiebreak, which she edged 7-5.

"In the beginning, I felt like it was my best match since I'm back after US Open," Swiatek said, "but later on for sure she pushed me and there was a lot of pressure. The tiebreak, I knew every point mattered and I did one little mistake and unfortunately it went her way.

"But I knew I could come back in the third set and try to win it for Poland."

While holding serve was the norm in the first set, it proved to be a premium in the third. After exchanging three breaks of serve to open the decider, Swiatek snapped the streak to hold for a 3-1 lead. She extended her advantage to a double-break to lead 4-1 before the match was paused to attend to an ill spectator. On the resumption, Swiatek protected her lead to close out the win.

Earlier, Linette put Poland up 1-0 on the hosts by coming back from 3-0 down in the third set to earn her first career win over Sorribes Tormo. Linette had lost all four of her previous meetings with Sorribes Tormo, including at the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

"I hate playing Sara so much!" she said in her on-court interview. "I knew it was going to take me four hours, and it did."

Sorribes Tormo showed immense grit to the very last point. On Linette's first match point, Sorribes Tormo conjured a remarkable lob off a Linette drive volley that just dropped inside the court. However, the Pole continued to commit to coming forward, and solid net play finally saw her get over the line.

wtatennis.com

It's so good to see Iga one more time before the season ends. It's especially good to see her playing well and enjoying herself in a team atmosphere. 

I was so disappointed when Iga didn't make it out of the group stage at WTA Finals this year (due to dumb round robin rules that give me a headache) watching her here is more than making up for it. 

Her match with Linda Noskova tomorrow could be a  lot of fun.

I can honestly say I've enjoyed this year's BJK Cup more than the ATP Finals, which have been a bit predictable and boring. 

With Alcaraz out in the group stages due to a bad cold, I will be shocked if anyone other than Jannik Sinner wins it.

Iga Swiatek loses to Gauff in WTA Finals Round Robin still with a shot to make the semis

On Thursday, three players will be competing for two semifinal spots out of the Orange Group at the WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF. Sort of.

One of those spots is assured of going to Coco Gauff, whose straight-sets win over Iga Swiatek on Tuesday -- just her second over the Pole in 13 career meetings -- ensured that the World No.3 has a place in the knockout rounds. But her position is up in the air -- though the American largely controls her own destiny in the race to finish as group winner.

One of those spots is assured of going to Coco Gauff, whose straight-sets win over Iga Swiatek on Tuesday -- just her second over the Pole in 13 career meetings -- ensured that the World No.3 has a place in the knockout rounds. But her position is up in the air -- though the American largely controls her own destiny in the race to finish as group winner.

Swiatek, and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, are in contention for the remaining spot. On Thursday, Gauff will face Krejcikova and Swiatek will face 2023 WTA Finals runner-up Jessica Pegula, who has no chance of repeating that feat in Riyadh, having already been eliminated from semifinal contention with two straight-set losses to Gauff and Krejcikova.

Let's break the road to the semifinals down for all three women.

How can Gauff win the group?

A win for Gauff against Krejcikova will put her into the semifinals as the group's winner with a 3-0 record, no matter the result between Swiatek and Pegula.

Crucially, the first-place finisher in the Orange Group will avoid a semifinal against World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, who has qualified for the semifinals as the winner of the Purple Group.

Gauff can also finish in the top spot if Krejcikova beats her in three sets AND Swiatek beats Pegula.

What is Swiatek's path to the semifinals?

Swiatek, the 2023 WTA Finals champion, has only one path to the knockout rounds: She must beat Pegula, and Gauff must also win, for Swiatek to qualify in the second spot.

 
Where does Krejcikova fit in?

Krejcikova -- who lost a 6-4, 3-0 lead to Swiatek earlier in the week -- put herself back in contention with her 6-3, 6-3 win over Pegula. The Czech can clinch the top spot in the group for herself -- and avoid a match against Sabalenka, whom she's lost to six times in seven matches, in the semifinals -- if she beats Gauff in two sets and Swiatek beats Pegula, or if she beats Gauff and Pegula beats Swiatek.

Krejcikova will qualify behind Gauff if Pegula beats Swiatek.

wtatennis.com

Well I did say it would come down to who's more solid on the forehand and serve and it kind of did. 

Despite Iga having plenty of chances in set 2 in particular (and being up a break twice) Gauff won all the important point and subsequently won the match in straights. 

Quality wise the match was all over the place from both. I'd say only the first half of set 1 was good.

Iga definitely didn't have her rhythm today on serve or forehand, and once again made too many unforced errors very much the result of lack of match play.

As I said I didn't have high expectations with this tournament but I'm still hopeful for her match against Pegula on Thursday. 

If she plays one solid match this tournament without getting broken that will be a win for this tournament.

Regardless of how the result with Saba in the semis would go. Selfishly I just want to see her play a bit more before the season comes to a close.

But of course it's not only up to Iga. It's up to the woman that beat her. She wins Iga goes through (round robin math is confusingly ridiculous).

Jazda Iga, go out there and play without any pressure. Plenty of players have won this thing even though they were down and out. Never say never.

Iga Swiatek gets hard fought first win at WTA Finals after 2 months absence from tour

I have  missed this outfit very much love the shoes

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Down a set and two service breaks in the second, No.2 seed Iga Swiatek rallied to stun No.8 Barbora Krejcikova 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 on Sunday at the WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF.

The unlikely victory kept alive Swiatek’s flickering hopes of reclaiming the No.1 ranking from Aryna Sabalenka.

The first step was nearly a staggering misstep, as Swiatek, who hadn’t played a match in two months and arrived here with a new coach, at times looked flustered. It wasn’t until she was down 3-0 in the second set that she began to look like a five-time Grand Slam singles champion.

“Even though I played a lot of those [practice] matches,” Swiatek said afterward. “I kind of forgot for a while how it is to feel all those things, a bit different stress and emotions. For sure, I needed some time to adapt. The most important thing was that even though it happened, I managed to fight through that. And was patient enough to wait to get better.”

In a season marred by injury, Krejcikova had played only 29 matches coming into these WTA Finals. But seven of them, all victories, happened at Wimbledon and, based on new rules, she qualified for her second year-end tournament in singles.

Krejcikova pounced immediately in this one, breaking Swiatek’s opening service game when the 23-year-old from Poland launched an awkward forehand long. Swiatek’s best chance to level the set came with Krejcikova serving at 3-2. A double fault -- the first sign of nerves -- gave Swiatek three break points. Krejcikova saved them all and escaped with the game when Swiatek’s return was long.

In the second set, Krejcikova again started quickly, breaking Swiatek in her first two service games and taking what looked to be an insurmountable 3-0 lead. But just as suddenly, after Swiatek scored two breaks, it was 3-all.

They continued on serve until, with Krejcikova serving to force a tiebreak, Swiatek broke through once more. She converted her second set point when a Krejcikova backhand soared long. After 107 minutes, it was one set apiece -- and both players had won 69 points.

The momentum continued for Swiatek when she broke Krejcikova to take a 2-0 lead, which soon ballooned to 5-0. Krejcikova extended it with one last break.

Swiatek won 13 of the final 17 games. Overall, she hit 10 aces and finished with 40 winners. Match time: 2 hours, 32 minutes.

“Honestly, I just focused on getting the balls in,” Swiatek said of the early going. “I needed to focus on the easy stuff. My main goal was just to be solid.

“I’m happy that I won because at the beginning I felt a little bit rusty. “

She's now 10-3 in matches at the WTA Finals, a winning percentage of 76.9, equaling Elina Svitolina’s standard for active players, with a minimum of 10 matches. Swiatek is now 60-8 (.882), the WTA Tour’s best winning percentage.

“It definitely wasn’t the best tennis I can play, but I was really quite solid,” Krejcikova said afterward. “I just feel I lost a little bit the momentum of the match and obviously, I’m not really sure if it was me or Iga. She just came up and started to play more aggressive, started to hit her targets better.

“Yeah, unfortunately, it’s Iga -- and you have to play two sets better than her.”

Even if Swiatek goes on to win the year-end event, Sabalenka can wrap up the top spot by winning her two remaining matches in group play.

In advance of the WTA Finals, for the first time in a couple of years, Swiatek actually practiced with Sabalenka -- the player who snatched away her No.1 ranking near the end of the past two seasons.

In 2023, Swiatek put together a blazing 11-0 run -- that included the title at the WTA Finals in Cancun -- and took it back. But this year, the gap was larger and the task more daunting. Swiatek needed another title at the year-end championships, along with some help from Sabalenka.

“Obviously we’re both fighting for this spot,” Swiatek said ahead of play. “Yeah, it’s been us basically kind of over the past few years. I mean, I am in the tournament. I obviously want to play my best game here and win this tournament.

“I’m just going to focus on my first match and do everything step by step.”


wtatennis.com

Well it wasn't a pretty start, but in tennis it's not really how you start but how you finish. And as the match went on and Iga calmed down she got into a better rhythm and took it to Krejcikova. 

I really didn't know what to expect after such a long absence, and I definitely knew there would be some rust as was apparent in the first set and a half. I'm actually really impressed with how Iga was able to not panic and regroup despite not having to feel this sort of stress for 2 months. 

It made me sad to hear in Polish interviews that she had to stop thinking about a lot of external factors coming from Poland during her match. 

Which I can only speculate might have something to do with how the media was abusively criticizing her mental coach in particular. 

It's also possible that whatever else was happening was of a very personal nature that effected her greatly. The fact she was able to overcome and block it mid-match just shows her incredible mental resilience. 

Perhaps most impressive today was how many aces Iga hit. 10 in one match is a personal record (don't think I've seen her hit double digits in a match before). Amazingly she had more aces than Sabalenka and Rybakina combined. 

Which is a little mind blowing, but very much welcome. If this is a sign of working with Wim Fisette, more of that please!. And all this before they even get to truly work on things like the serve and her game in the off season. 

Coco Gauff up next for Iga who had a solid 2nd career win over Pegula. Even though Iga has an overwhelming H2H I never take their matches lightly especially since Coco has been playing solidly after the U.S. Open. So it'll come down to who's more solid on the forehand and serve-wise. 

Hopefully Iga will have a much better start and is able to feel the court better after a lengthy battle. 

Most of all I'm just so damn happy to see her back on court, I'm aware I'm coming off very biased as I say this but she has breathed a bit of life to the end of this season. 

Which at times  has lacked energy and intrigue in the last few months.

Top 8 Women of the 2024 WTA Finals all glamoured up in Riyadh

 

WTA Finals defending champion Iga Swiatek lands in Orange Group with Pegula and Gauff

Defending champion Iga Swiatek was on hand for the draw ceremony at the WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF to see how this year's groups shook out for the season-ending championships.

For the second straight year, the year-end No.1 ranking will come down to the final event of the season, as World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka looks to hold off No.2 Swiatek down the final stretch.

 
Singles Draw

Purple Group
[1] Aryna Sabalenka
[4] Jasmine Paolini
[5] Elena Rybakina
[7] Zheng Qinwen

Orange Group
[2] Iga Swiatek
[3] Coco Gauff
[6] Jessica Pegula
[8] Barbora Krejcikova

Tournament format: Round-robin play begins on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 3:30 p.m. on the indoor hard courts at the King Saud University Sports Arena. The top two finishers out of each group will advance to the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 8, with the winners advancing to the final on Saturday, Nov.9.

Top-seeded Sabalenka and the Purple Group will get underway on Saturday, with the Orange Group set to begin on Sunday.

Order of Play: Day 1

[3] Hsieh/Mertens vs. [6] Melichar-Martinez/Perez
[1] Sabalenka vs. [7] Zheng
[4] Paolini vs. [5] Rybakina
[1] Kichenok/Ostapenko vs. [8] Siniakova/Townsend

Order of Play: Day 2

[2] Dabrowski/Routliffe vs. [7] Chan/Kudermetova
[2] Swiatek vs. [8] Krejcikova
[3] Gauff vs. [6] Pegula
[4] Errrani/Paolini vs. [5] Dolehide/Krawczyk

In the 53rd staging of the Hologic WTA Tour's crown-jewel event, this season's eight best singles players and doubles teams will battle it out for a record-setting total prize money purse of $15,250,000, with an undefeated singles champion set to take home over $5 million.

wtatennis.com