By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Photo credit: Vid Ponikvar/World Tennis/Billie Jean King Cup
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro started the day with a pre-birthday blast.
Teammates Sara Sorribes Tormo and Cristina Bucsa united in declarative doubles statement to spark a Spanish semifinal celebration.
Veterans Sorribes Tormo and Bucsa beat Anna Danilina and Zhibek Kulambayeva 6-2, 7-5 clinching Spain’s spot in the Billie Jean King Cup semifinals with a 2-1 win over Kazakhstan at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre Arena in Shenzhen, China.
It is Spain’s first Billie Jean King Cup semifinal appearance since 2008.
Under the guidance of Captain and one-handed backhand practitioner Carla Suarez Navarro, Spain scored its fourth win in its last five BJK Cup ties.
“I’m really proud of all my players. They really make a really good and strong effort,” Captain Suarez Navarro said. “This tie was tough. Was tough. Sometimes some games were really, really
close.”
Spain advanced to Friday’s Billie Jean King Cup semifinals where it will face Czechia. Spain aims to continue this BJK Cup dream.
“It is something that we always try to do it,” Captain Suarez Navarro said of the semifinal return. “Was long time ago. This competition is so difficult. Every tie is so tough.
“Our moment is now, no? We can win today and we can still with the dream, with the goal of the Billie Jean King Cup.
“But yeah, for us, for the Spanish people, the Spanish Federation, I think [this] is one important achievement.”
Eleven-time champion Czechia conquered Great Britain, 2-0, on Tuesday on the strength of singles wins from Marie Bouzkova and Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova.
Seeking its sixth BJK Cup championship, Spain will face Czechia for the second straight season. Last year, Spain stopped Czechia 2-1 in the Qualifying round.
Party favors weren’t on Spanish mind when Bouzas Maneiro took the court today.
Bouzas Maneiro, who celebrates her 24th birthday tomorrow (Thursday, September 24th), was calling the shots in the opening match of today’s best-of-three match quarterfinal.
World No. 93 Bouzaz Maneiro burst out to 5-1 leads in both sets en route to a 6-2, 6-2 sweep of Sonja Zhiyenbayeva to stake Spain to a 1-0 lead.
“Yeah, super happy with my performance today. It wasn’t easy at all,” Bouzas Maneiro said. “I was a little bit nervous at the beginning. You’re playing for your team, for your country, so it’s not easy.
“I was trying to take that pressure to the positive way. Yeah, really happy to give the point to Spain.”
Basliner Bouzas Maneiro served 60 percent, won 23 of 28 first-serve points and did not face a break point in a strong performance the day before her birthday.
The 20-year-old Zhiyenbayeva was pressed into singles starting duty after new world No. 1 Elena Rybakina withdrew from the event. Rybakina, who dethroned two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final, suffered an Achilles injury at last month’s Cincinnati Open end opted out of Billie Jean King Cup play to rest and recover for the fall season.
Bouzas Maneiro said it’s a joy reconvening with Spanish teammates and Captain Carla Suarez Navarro.
“For me it’s super special because we have a lot of good relationship in the team, we have good communication,” Bouzas Maneiro said. “From my side I have everything with my team, all that I need in every moment.
“They understand me, so that’s the good thing. They have a lot of empathy for us. So yeah, I think that’s the good thing.
“It’s a funny week also because we’re trying to enjoy the week, not just to play here. We have the pressure and it’s tough competition because you are playing for a country, but we are trying to take the positive thing about it. I think that’s the good thing. We are, like, most of the year alone, so it’s really nice to be with the team and playing for our country.”
Deploying the drop shot superbly, Yulia Putintseva fought off Cristina Bucsa 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to level Kazakhstan with Spain after singles play.
Drawing inspiration from the Great Wall of China, Putintseva took determined defense to a new level.
“I think I started to move well, in the third set even better,” Putintseva said. “I decided like to stay there as a wall, like the Great China Wall, and not miss anything.”
Long-distance warrior Putintseva said after the one hour, 51-minute win she’s accustomed to grinding out physical victories.
“I wasn’t even worried because I think every time I play, I end up playing three sets,” Putintseva said. “Even though I don’t want to, I don’t know, always happen the same way.
“So yeah, the third set I was very focused not to do any mistakes. I thought if she wants to win this match, she has to hit winners, and hit winners not in the first two shots, because I’m going to run and get everything back, then we will see what can happen. That worked in the end.”
In the end, Spanish strength in doubles was evident as Bucsa and Sorribes Tormo clinched the semifinal spot on their fourth match point capping a dramatic two hour, seven-minute doubles triumph.
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