In a thrilling Billie Jean King Cup semifinal clash, world No. 2 Iga Swiatek overcame a spirited challenge from world No. 4 Jasmine Paolini to secure a hard-fought 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory for Poland. The match sent the tie to a decisive doubles rubber.
Paolini, who had previously won only nine games in three encounters with Swiatek, displayed remarkable determination in the opening set. She broke Swiatek’s serve twice to seize a 4-0 lead and eventually claimed the set 6-3.
However, Swiatek, known for her resilience, refused to be deterred. She saved 13 of the 16 break points she faced, including all five in the second set. Swiatek’s unwavering focus and clutch play proved pivotal as she broke Paolini’s serve in the eighth game of the second set to level the match.
In the third set, Swiatek continued to apply pressure on Paolini’s serve. Despite Paolini’s valiant efforts to stay in contention, Swiatek’s consistent service holds and timely breaks proved too much to overcome. In the final game, Paolini faltered under pressure, allowing Swiatek to seal the victory and keep Poland’s hopes of reaching the final alive.
Earlier in the tie, Lucia Bronzetti had given Italy a 1-0 lead by defeating Magda Linette 6-4, 7-6(3). Bronzetti, making her Billie Jean King Cup singles debut, displayed impressive composure to overcome Linette’s challenge.
With the tie level at 1-1, the outcome now rests on the doubles match between Poland’s Alicja Rosolska and Magdalena Frech and Italy’s Martina Trevisan and Elisabetta Cocciaretto. The winner of this crucial encounter will advance to the championship tie.
