The German tennis women were eliminated in the preliminary round of the Billie Jean King Cup. In the first group game against Italy, the defeat of team boss Rainer Schüttler’s selection was already clear before the final doubles with a score of 2-0 after the two singles.
Anna Lena Friedsam trotted to the net with her head hanging low and congratulated the Italian Jasmine Paolini – on the bench her disappointed teammates had to admit their deserved defeat. The German tennis women were eliminated early from the final round of the Billie Jean King Cup in Seville. The dream of the first semi-final in five years was shattered after just a few hours.
Due to the 2-0 defeat in the opening match of the group phase, captain Rainer Schüttler’s team, which ultimately had no chance against the favored Italy, was already eliminated before the final double. Anna-Lena Friedsam (Neuwied) lost her singles against Italian number one Paolini 3:6, 2:6 – previously Eva Lys (Hamburg) lost 6:7 (6:8), 1:6 against Martina Trevisan had.
Tatjana Maria only nominated for doubles
Tatjana Maria, the best-placed German player in the world rankings, was surprisingly only nominated for the doubles by Schüttler. At the side of WTA Finals winner Laura Siegemund, she meets Elisabetta Cocciaretto/Martina Trevisan in the now insignificant third match of the day.
Italy won its first game on Wednesday 2-1 against France, which the German Tennis Federation (DTB) will face on Friday (10 a.m.). For both teams, it’s no longer about anything in terms of sport, as only Italy, the first in the group, has secured a ticket to the semi-finals. The final at the Estadio de La Cartuja in the Andalusian capital takes place on Sunday.
Strong start from Lys
Lys bravely stood up to Trevisan from the start in the opening match of the duel, but was unable to use a set point and lost the extremely close first round after around 75 minutes. In the second set, Lys Trevisan had to quickly pull away and took a medical time out when the score was 1:4, apparently due to thigh problems.
“It was a close game. In the first set I had a lot of chances that unfortunately I didn’t take advantage of,” said the Hamburger: “I made too many mistakes, which is not allowed at this level.”
Paolini too good for Friedsam
Friedsam then tried to keep the German team in the competition. But against the strong Paolini, a solid performance from the 29-year-old, who lacked the ultimate conviction in the crucial moments, was not enough. After just 1:16 hours, the semi-final hopes were finally gone.
