Reigning Champion Italy Leads Qualifiers for 2026 Billie Jean King Cup Finals
By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, April 11, 2026
Photo credit: Billie Jean King Cup Facebook
Few players can throw parties with the festive zeal of Jasmine Paolini.
Seven months ago, Paolini defeated Jessica Pegula to clinch Italy’s second straight Billie Jean King Cup championship in Shenzhen.
Today, Paolini and doubles partner Sara Errani sent six-time champion Italy back to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals..
Errani and Paolini defeated Eri Hozumi and Shuko Aoyama 6-2, 7-5 clinching Italy’s 3-1 Billie Jean King Cup Qualifier win over Japan on the red clay of Velletri, Italy.
Captain Tathiana Garbin’s team became the first nation to successfully defend the Billie Jean King Cup crown since Czechia in 2016 with its title run last year. This September, Italy will lead an eight-team Billie Jean King Cup Finals field that includes: Belgium, China, Great Britain, Kazakhstan, Spain and Ukraine.
Here’s a recap of this weekend’s Billie Jean King Cup Qualifying tie results.
Italy 3, Japan 1
at ASD Colle degli Dei, Velletri, Italy on outdoor clay
Match 1: Elisabetta Cocciaretto (ITA) d. Moyuka Uchijima (JPN) 7-5, 6-2
Match 2: Jasmine Paolini (ITA) d. Himeno Sakatsume (JPN) 6-3, 6-1
Match 3: Sara Errani/Jasmine Paolini (ITA) d. Eri Hozumi/Shuko Aoyama (JPN) 6-2, 7-5
Match 4: Himeno Sakatsume (JPN) d. Lucia Bronzetti (ITA) 7-6(4), 6-2.
Two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini accounted for two of Italy’s three wins sending the six-time BJK Cup champion Italians back to the Finals.
Belgium 3, United States 1
at Coretec Dome in Ostend, Belgium on indoor clay
Match 1: Hanne Vandewinkel (BEL) d. Iva Jovic (USA) 7-6(3), 6-3
Match 2: Elise Mertens (BEL) d. McCartney Kessler (USA) 7-6(3), 2-6, 3-3, Retired
Match 3: Caty McNally/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) d. Elise Mertens/Magali Kempen (BEL) 6-4, 6-2
Match 4: Greet Minnen (BEL) d. Iva Jovic (USA) 7-5, 6-3.
Coming off a hard-court Challenger final last week, world No. 143 Greet Minnen beat 18-year-old American Iva Jovic to book Belgium a place in the elite eight.
Great Britain 3, Australia 1
at John Cain Arena, Melbourne, Australia on outdoor hard court
Match 1: Mika Stojsavljevic (GBR) d. Talia Gibson (AUS) 7-6(4), 7-5
Match 2: Harriet Dart (GBR) d. Kimberly Birrell (AUS) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Match 3: Jodie Anna Burrage/Harriet Dart (GBR) d. Storm Hunter/Ellen Perez (AUS) 6-3, 6-4
Match 4: Emerson Jones (AUS) d. Katie Swan (GBR) 7-5, 6-3
Harriet Dart rallied from a set down to beat Kimberly Birrell in opening-day singles then partnered with Jodie Burrage sweeping doubles to send the Brits into the Finals despite the fact it played without Emma Raducanu and Sonay Kartal.
Kazakhstan 3, Canada 1
at Beeline Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan on indoor clay
Match 1: Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) d. Kayla Cross (CAN) 6-3, 7-5
Match 2: Bianca Andreescu (CAN) d. Sonja Zhiyenbayeva (KAZ) 6-4, 7-6(6)
Match 3: Anna Danilina/Zhibek Kulambayeva (KAZ) d. Kayla Cross/Bianca Andreescu (CAN)
Match 4: Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) d. Bianca Andreescu (CAN) 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(4)
In a three hour, 39-minute epic, Yulia Putintseva outlasted 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu to clinch Kazakhstan’s trip to the Final eight. It was Putintseva’s second win of the weekend and her 23rd career BJK Cup victory.
Ukraine 4, Poland 0
at PreZero Arena, Gliwice, Poland on indoor clay
Match 1: Marta Kostyuk (UKR) d. Magda Linette (POL) 6-4, 6-0
Match 2: Elina Svitolina (UKR) d. Katarzyna Kawa (POL) 6-2, 6-1
Match 3: Lyudmyla Kichenok/Nadiia Kichenok (UKR) d. Maja Chwalinska/Martyna Kubka (POL) 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-3
Match 4: Oleksandra Oliynykova (UKR) d. Linda Klimovicova (POL) 6-4, 6-1
Twin sisters Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok won a tense doubles match as Ukraine powered into its second straight Billie Jean King Cup Finals, winning eight of nine sets played over this weekend.
Spain 3, Slovenia 1
at Tennis Center Portoroz, Portoroz, Slovenia on outdoor clay
Match 1: Kaitlin Quevedo (ESP) d. Tamara Zidansek (SLO) 4-6, 6-2, Retired
Match 2: Veronika Erjavec (SLO) d. Leyre Romero Gormaz (ESP) 6-4, 6-3
Match 3: Aliona Bolsova/Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) d. Veronika Erjavec/Nika Radisic (SLO) 6-4, 6-3
Match 4: Kaitlin Quevedo (ESP) d. Veronika Erjavec (SLO) 7-6(4), 6-2.
The 20-year-old BJK debutant Kaitlin Quevedo carried Spain to the Finals with a pair of singles victories.
Post Comment