MALAGA, Spain – Two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini capped a profitable season main Italy to its first Billie Jean King Cup title since 2013 on Wednesday, defeating Rebecca Sramkova 6-2, 6-1 for a 2-0 victory. Slovakia within the remaining of the ladies’s workforce competitors.
When Paolini’s win ended, he was joined by his teammates on the court docket, hugged, and danced and sang whereas the Gypsy Kings’ music “Volare” blared.
No. 4 Paolini was runner-up on the French Open in June and Wimbledon in July, making her the primary girl since Serena Williams in 2016 to achieve the title matches at Roland Garros and the All England Membership in the identical season. Previous to this 12 months, Paolini, 28, had misplaced within the first or second spherical in all 16 appearances within the majors.
“It is an unbelievable 12 months. It is unbelievable. Loopy 12 months. To finish like this, with the title … it is superb. I’ve no phrases to explain. I attempt to take pleasure in each second,” mentioned Paolini. “I really feel fortunate to be on this place. I really feel fortunate to be part of this workforce.”
She additionally teamed with Sara Errani to win the doubles gold medal on the Paris Olympics in August. They had been scheduled to play within the remaining match in opposition to Slovakia, however they did not should as a result of Italy gained the third place by sweeping two singles matches.
“Jasmine has raised the bar loads this 12 months. She’s a job mannequin for all of us,” mentioned her teammate, 78th-ranked Lucia Bronzetti, who scored the opening purpose in Wednesday’s 6-2, 6-4 win over Viktoria Hruncakova in entrance of a crowd that included Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Famer and equal rights pioneer Billie Jean King herself. .
Bronzetti known as it an “honor” to compete in entrance of the lady the occasion is called after, saying, “She’s an excellent particular person, an excellent legend.”
Italy, who knocked out Iga Swiatek and Poland within the semifinals, secured their fifth championship a 12 months after ending second in Canada.
“I’m happy with them. They struggle on daily basis,” mentioned the Italian captain, Tathiana Garbin. “This journey was unimaginable.”
The victory provides to Italy’s document in tennis, which incorporates two Grand Slam titles in 2024 and males’s No. 1 rating for Jannik Sinner, who helped his nation to final 12 months’s Davis Cup. Sinner and Italy meet Argentina within the males’s quarterfinals on Thursday.
It’s the first time that two Worldwide Tennis Federation matches have been held on the similar venue, though the ladies’s matches are performed in a a lot smaller venue. They used a brief court docket constructed underneath a white tent, which might accommodate 4,000 folks; males performed in a packed 9,200-seat stadium on Tuesday in Rafael Nadal’s remaining match earlier than retirement as Spain misplaced to the Netherlands.
Bronzetti has by no means performed a BJK Cup singles match till this week. He mentioned till Tuesday evening that he can be on the checklist to face Slovakia.
“I did not sleep effectively,” mentioned Bronzetti.
“You are not simply enjoying for your self,” he mentioned. “You play to your workforce and your nation.”
He was entertained by chants of his first identify — “Lavatory-Chee-Ah! This Chee-Ah!” — combined with the sound of a drum and a purple plastic horn being performed within the cheering space behind Slovakia’s bench, Bronzetti claimed the final three video games of the primary set and the final 4 of the match.
He trailed 4-2, 40-15 within the second set however circled.
“I used to be slightly frightened about getting to 3rd,” mentioned Bronzetti.
Slovakia, who gained the BJK Cup in 2002, beat america, Australia and Britain to achieve the ultimate this time.
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