Coppa BJK: Svitolina porta l’Ucraina in vantaggio 2-0 contro la Romania, Brasile in difficoltà 0-2 in casa contro la Germania. Team USA fatica per un 2-0 contro il Belgio.

Ucraina-Romania 2-0: Elina Svitolina’s leadership shines

Ukraine defeated Romania 2-0 in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifier after wins from Lesia Tsurenko and Elina Svitolina on the opening day.

Number 2 player Tsurenko overcame Ana Bogdan 3-6 6-2 6-0 in 2 hours and 4 minutes, before number 1 Svitolina sealed the double advantage with a solid 6-3 7-5 victory over Jaqueline Cristian in nearly an hour and three-quarters of play.

Due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the match is being held in Amelia Island, Florida, at a facility chosen by Svitolina’s foundation. Following the match, the 29-year-old from Odessa spoke about the significance of playing in such difficult circumstances given the grave situation in her homeland.

Strong winds were a notable feature on Friday, with both players struggling on their serves throughout the match, resulting in 16 total breaks of serve. However, it was Tsurenko who managed to limit errors better in these tough environmental conditions. After losing the first set, the 34-year-old Ukrainian completely turned the tide with a grueling fourth game in the second set, where she converted her fourth break point to take control.

Tsurenko then consolidated her lead by holding her serve and overcoming a 0-40 deficit. Bogdan struggled to keep up with Tsurenko as the points became more physical, leading Tsurenko to win 9 of the last 10 matches she has played in the BJK Cup, a competition she has not participated in since 2020. In the second match of the day, Svitolina demonstrated her authority by breaking early and maintaining the advantage throughout the first set. Cristian, who recently reached the quarterfinals in Charleston on green clay, proved to be a resilient opponent on the same surface in Florida, especially in the second set.

With the set seemingly heading to a tie-break, Svitolina raised her level and created a couple of match points. Despite saving the first with a forehand winner, Cristian could not stop Svitolina from closing out the match on the second attempt with another forehand winner, securing her fifth win in the last six matches played for her country. Ukraine now only needs one more victory to secure a spot in Seville. However, Romanian captain Horia Tecau, a former doubles world monument, still believes in a comeback.

Brazil-Germany 0-2

Tatjana Maria claimed a fantastic win against Laura Pigossi, coming back from a set down to triumph 2-6 6-4 6-4 in two and a half hours, giving Germany a 2-0 lead over Brazil in Sao Paulo.

Playing in front of nearly 10,000 passionate fans, Pigossi started the match much faster. The 29-year-old Laura, a native of Sao Paulo, had faced Maria, the 36-year-old Wimbledon semifinalist in 2022, on two previous occasions, including a defeat at the same stage of the competition last year.

The Brazilian number two attempted to harness the crowd’s energy to turn the match around, but Maria relied on her experience to regain control in the final set. After receiving a mid-third set medical timeout, Pigossi started limping visibly but remained on the court till the end, showing professionalism and great heart.

In the first match of the day, a major upset occurred as Laura Siegemund overcame a 72-position ranking difference to defeat the Brazilian number one Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-4 6-2 at the Ibirapuera Gymnasium. With many service breaks in the opening set, it was Siegemund who took the lead at a crucial moment, closing it out amidst the general nervousness of the home crowd. The 36-year-old, known for causing upsets against higher-ranked players, won the next four games as Haddad Maia struggled to find her rhythm, unable to handle Siegemund’s varied game.

As a result, the 27-year-old Sao Paulo native continued to make unforced errors that didn’t even clear the net, while finding herself getting passed whenever she came to the net. With her unforced error count skyrocketing – she made 31 unforced errors compared to Siegemund’s 9 – her fellow citizens could not lift Haddad Maia’s spirits.

Brazil now needs a near-miracle to overcome the 2-0 deficit against the experienced German team and secure a spot in the BJK Cup Finals for the first time.

USA-Belgium 2-0: The lone tie of the weekend which began on Saturday

World number 21 Emma Navarro had to come from a set down to defeat Hanne Vandewinkel, who is highly regarded for her future prospects, ranked 278th in the world, 4-6 6-4 6-3 to give Team USA a 2-0 lead over Belgium in the qualifier.

The eighth game of the second set proved to be the turning point of the match, as after two hours and 30 minutes of battle, the younger of the two “billionaire” daughters closed out the match on the third match point.

On paper, it was expected to be a one-sided affair for the new captain Lindsay Davenport’s girls. With the number 5 and 21 WTA players playing at home, a massacre for the American team was anticipated. However, the two nineteen-year-old Belgians had other ideas and provided high-quality matches. In the opening match of the day, Jessica Pegula also fought harder than expected, struggling to adapt to the playing conditions and having to come back from a set down to defeat the 279th-ranked Sofia Costoulas 4-6 6-2 6-3.

Returning to the second match played later that night, Emma joked during the on-court interview that it took her a set and three-quarters to recover from the DJ’s loud music.

The 30-year-old from Buffalo admitted to apologizing to Davenport after losing the first set. Immediately after, JP showed why she has been a stalwart in the women’s Top 10 in recent years, digging deep mentally to secure the opening point of the weekend.

The United States now needs just one more win on Sunday to secure a spot in the BJK Cup Finals in November. The first players on court will be number one Pegula and Vandewinkel.

Overall, the matches showcased the exciting competition and talent on display during the Billie Jean King Cup qualifier matches.