Updated
Thanks to the singles victories of Jil Teichmann and Belinda Bencic, Switzerland sidelined Australia (2-0) in the semi-finals. There it is in the final for the second time in its history.
Belinda Bencic and her teammates will face Russia in the final.
AFP
Switzerland validated its qualification for the final of the Billie Jean King Cup by beating Australia (2-0), this Friday, thanks to the singles victories of Belinda Bencic and Jil Teichmann.
Opposed to Storm Sanders (WTA 131) in the first match, Teichmann (WTA 39) came out without too much concern (6-0, 6-3) in a duel of lefties. The Biennoise has fully justified the confidence of her captain Heinz Günthardt, who has aligned here for the first time in singles since the start of the tournament. Brilliant in doubles with Belinda Bencic in the decisive match against the Czech Republic the day before, Teichmann showed from the start a conquering face. She inflicted a terrible “bubble” on her opponent in the first set, concluded in 18 minutes and having dropped only 3 points!
Sanders was more eye-catching in the second set. And after three new games conceded on the wire, the Australian managed to take the best in the exchange. At 3-3, Teichmann did not let himself be overcome by doubt and found the resources to conclude. She folded the meeting on an ace from her first match point.
In the process, Belinda Bencic (WTA 17) got the better of Ajla Tomljanovic (WTA 43) in straight sets and 1h10 (6-3, 6-2). Like Teichmann, the Saint-Galloise started strong (3-0). She let her opponent go back to 2-3, conceding her serve in the process, but gave a boost to pocket the first set. In the second, she broke from the start then kept this advantage until the 7th game, where she again took the service of Tomljanovic. A decisive turning point, followed just behind the win of the match.
Switzerland has reached the final of the competition for the second time in its history. In 1998, the team made up of Patty Schnyder, Martina Hingis and Emmanuelle Gagliardi lost to Spain in Geneva (2-3). 23 years later, their successors will try to go to the end.
Russia are the first team to advance to the Billie Jean King Cup final, having beaten the United States in the semifinals, 2 wins to 1.
Liudmila Samsonova (WTA 40) led Russia in the first single, beating American Sloane Stephens (WTA 63) 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 in 1:56 in the first single. Danielle Collins (WTA 30) equalized for the United States by beating, also in three sets and she too after overcoming the first set loss, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (WTA 12) 6-7 (9/11), 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 in 2h42.
In the doubles, Samsonova was ultimately teamed up with Veronika Kudermetova, an exercise specialist ranked 11th in the world in the WTA doubles rankings. They brought the point of victory to Russia by beating American pair Coco Vandeweghe / Shelby Rogers 6-3, 6-3.
