By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday April 13, 2024
Photo Source: ITF/ BJK Cup
Iga Swiatek is no stranger to winning streaks. She of the 37-match tear in 2022 is also building a nice little number for the Polish BJK Cup team – Swiatek made it seven consecutive victories in the format, defeating World No.158 Simona Waltert 6-3, 6-1 to give Poland the lead over Team Switzerland in Biel, and returning on Saturday to notch a 6-4, 6-3 win over Swiss teen Celine Naef.
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It was a victory that was more difficult to achieve than the scoreline suggested, said Swiatek, who saved six of seven break points and won 15 of 21 second-serve return points against 23-year-old Waltert on Friday, then converted 5 of 11 break points to take out Naef in 81 minutes.
The Pole has dropped a total of 12 games in her last four BJK Cup matches, and is 9-2 overall at BJK Cup.
“I’m super happy and proud of everybody,” Swiatek said. “It’s been a really fun week so I’m happy that this time I could lead my team to be in the Finals. Hopefully we’re going to finish it in November, but I’m super proud of what we achieved for these two days.”
Leading from the front 💪🇵🇱
World No.1 @iga_swiatek defeats Celine Naef 6-4, 6-3 to book Poland a place in the #BJKCup Finals! 🎟️@pzt_tenis pic.twitter.com/CnBcQHJTUv
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) April 13, 2024
World No.1 Swiatek has not lost at BJK Cup since falling to Dayana Yastremska in 2019 – Friday marked her first appearance in the competition since 2022.
“I knew what I can show and I wanted to just stay solid,” the four-time major champion said on Friday. “Because at the beginning I made a couple of mistakes that changed the momentum a little bit but the key is not to overthink it and not make the same mistakes so I’m glad that I did that at the end.”
Swiatek has now won seven Billie Jean King Cup matches in a row – remaining unbeaten since a defeat to Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska in 2019.
👋🏼🇨🇭 pic.twitter.com/rptzt0HAkz
— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) April 9, 2024
France and Great Britain Down to the Wire
A busy day of BJK Cup qualifiers saw France and Great Britain in a heated battle at Le Portel.
On Friday Diane Parry got France out on the front foot by winning 12 games on the trot to defeat Katie Boulter, 6-2, 6-0, but Emma Raducanu rallied for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Caroline Garcia to level up the two storied nations.
France and Great Britain are meeting for the second time in as many years after going 43 years without facing each other. France took last year’s meeting, 3-1, in Coventry, Great Britain.
Raducanu’s win over the World No.23 marked her first Top-25 win since 2023 Indian Wells. Garcia and Boulter will kick things off as play continues on Saturday at Le Chaudron. The pair had split their two previous meetings, both in 2022.
Katie Boulter defeated Clara Burel 7-5, 6-0 to give Great Britain the 2-1 lead.
Currently Diane Parry and Raducanu are locked in a third set in the fourth rubber…
Here are the current scores of the other Qualifier Rubbers:
Slovakia 4, Slovenia 0 | Bratislava, Slovakia
Japan 3, Kazakhstan 1 | Tokyo, Japan
Poland 4, Switzerland 0 | Biel, Switzerland
Australia 4, Mexico 0 | Brisbane, Australia
Ukraine 2, Romania 0 | Amelia Island, USA
Brazil 0, Germany 2 | Sao Paulo, Brazil
USA 2, Belgium 0 | Orlando, USA
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