The return of world number one Iga Swiatek to his national team brightens the Polish panoramawhich together with fifteen other national teams seeks to solve the qualifying rounds of the Billie Jean King Cup which provides a passport for the finals to be played in Seville.
Sixteen teams will face off next Friday and Saturday in eight matches of which eight will advance who will join the four with direct passports in the final stage: Canada, champion in 2023, Italy, finalist, Spain, host and Czech Republic, invited by the organization.
In total, twelve teams will form the poster for the final stage to be played in Seville from November 12 to 17 and that they be distributed in four groups of three. The first in each will enter the semifinals.
Swiatek’s return to his team has sparked optimism in Poland, who face Switzerland in Biel. The world number one returned to the Polish Billie Jean King Cup team for the first time since the 2022 Qualifiers, when he led Poland to a 4-0 victory over Romania. He won 7 of the 9 individual matches he played and was a guarantee for his country.
The Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, thirteenth in the world, is the great argument of Brazil, aiming to reach the Finals for the first time in its history. They will face Germany, which they have always beaten and which includes Angelique Kerber, who will make her first appearance since 2022.
Like Kerber, another former world number one, Naomi Osaka, is one of the good news of the qualifying phase. She returned to Japan a la Billie Jean King after being absent from her team since 2020.
But the United States is the most powerful group. Along with Jessica Pegula, fifth in the world, and Madison Keys, twentieth. Emma NAvarro is twenty-first in the women’s rankings and completes the North American squad. Caroline Garcia, twenty-three, leads France, who is again running in Great Britain, with Katie Boulter, twenty-eighth. And Elina Svitolina helped Ukraine.
The teams that lose these qualifying duels will compete in this year’s final qualifier, where they will look to earn a spot in the playoffs next season.
BJK Cup
Qualification Playoffs
Australia – Mexico (Brisbane, hard court)
Australia: Arina Rodionov (103), Storm Hunter (116), Daria Saville (94), Taylah Preston (136), Ellen Perez (624/8 in doubles), make up the oceanic team.
Mexico. Fernanda Contreras (402), Marcela Zacarías (562), Maria Fernanda Navarro (800), Giuliana Omos (no ranking)
Switzerland – Poland (Biel, Switzerland; hard court)
Switzerland: Celine Naef (148), Simona Walters (158), Jill Teichmann (213), Ylenia In-Albon (234)
Poland: Iga Swiatek (1), Magdalena Frech (52), Katarzyna Kawa (178), Maja Chwalinska (293)
France – Great Britain (Le Portel, France; on land)
France: Caroline Garcia (23), Clara Burel (44), Diane Parri (49), Kristina Mladenovic (254)
Britain: Katie Boulter (28), Harriet Dart (88), Heather Watson (144), Francesca Jones (268), Emma Raducanu (302)
United States – Belgium (Orlando; hard court)
USA: Jessica Pegula (5), Madison Keys (20), Emma Navarro (21), Caroline Dolehide (48) and Taylor Townsend (57)
Belgium: Sofia Costoulas (279), Hanne Vandewinkel (278), Marie Benoit (312), Kimberley Zimmermann (unranked, 73 doubles)
Japan – Kazakhstan (Tokyo, hard court)
Japanese: Naho Hibino (79), Mai Hontama (119), Naomi Osaka (193), Ena Shibaharta (351, 21), Shuko Aoyama
Kazakhstan: Yulia Putintseva (52), Zhibek Kulambayeva (483), Aruzhan Sagandikova (804), Anna Danilina (939), Zarina Diyas
Brazil – Germany (Sao Paulo; land)
Brazil: Beatriz Haddad Maia (13), Laura Pigossi (125), Carolina Alves (345), Ingreid Gamarra Martins (1264/55), Kuisa Stefani (-/11)
Germany: Tatjana Maria (66), Laura Siegemund (85), Eva Lys (149), Anna Lena Friedsam (189), Angelique Kerber (333)
Slovakia – Slovenia (Bratislava, difficult)
Slovakia: Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (68), Rebecca Sramkova (117), Viktoria Hruncakova (146), Renata Jamrichova (684), Tereza Hihalkkova (1084)
Slovenia: Tamara Zidansek (132), Veronika Erjavec (203), Pia Lovric (528), Nina Potocnik (659), Ela Nala Milik (812)
Ukraine – Romania (Florida, United States, land)
Ukraine: Elina Svitolina (18), Lesia Tsurenko (42), Yulia Starodubtseva (138), Lyudmyla Kichenok (-/18), Nadia Kichenok (-/42)
Romania: Ana Bogdan (64), Jaqueline Adina Cristian (75), Anca Alexia Todoni (191), Mara Gae (1062)
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
