The Czech Republic on Tuesday earned an impressive 3-0 victory over defending champions Switzerland in their Billie Jean King Cup Finals opener.
Marie Bouzkova and Linda Noskova triumphed in singles matches to give the Czech Republic an unassailable lead before the doubles rubber in Group A, dubbed “the group of death,” including record 18-time winners the US.
Noskova defeated Celine Naef 7-6 (7/2), 4-6, 6-4 in a long battle of the two 18-year-old debutants, before Bouzkova saw off the in-form Viktorija Golubic 6-4, 6-4.
Photo: Reuters
Then Czech doubles pairing of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova beat Golubic and Jil Teichmann 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 to cement their perfect start.
Swiss player Naef fought her way back in as Noskova nearly gave up a 4-1 lead in the first set and then crumbled under the pressure in the second to force a deciding third.
However, this time it was Naef who collapsed from 4-1 up, with world No. 41 Noskova converting her second match point.
“I came back in the third, which is the most important one,” said Noskova, after the two-hour, 31-minute match.
The 11-time champions clinched the tie when Bouzkova saw off Golubic, stepping up at key moments — she saved five of seven break points and converted four out of five herself.
“I’m super happy to get the second point and the win for our team,” Bouzkova said.
The traveling fans “are so loud, it gives us so much support... I enjoy the team spirit and I’m really happy with this win,” she added.
Switzerland were without Belinda Bencic, world No. 17, who last week announced that she is pregnant and expecting her first child.
Earlier Slovenia beat seven-time winners Australia 2-1, taking both the singles rubbers, but they were pipped in the doubles.
Kaja Juvan and Tamara Zidansek succeeded against last year’s runners-up to get Slovenia off to a winning start on their finals debut.
Juvan defeated Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4, 6-1 before Zidansek beat Daria Saville 6-1, 6-4.
Australia’s Kimberly Birrell and Storm Hunter, the latter only arriving a few hours before the match after traveling from the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, beat Veronika Erjavec and Ela Milic in a first-to-10 super tie-break, 7-5, 6-7 (2/7), 10-5.
Juvan got the ball rolling with a comfortable straight-sets win over Tomljanovic, serving strongly against her tiring Australian opponent, who has endured an injury-hit season, playing just five matches prior.
The Slovenian has a strong record at the Billie Jean King Cup, recording her 10th victory in 11 matches across singles and doubles.
“I feel really good playing here and I was thinking today, I can’t seem to lose at this [competition],” Juvan said.
Zidansek produced seven aces against Saville as Slovenia moved top of Group B, which also features a solid Kazakhstan team, including last year’s Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Hunter, who is to finish the season as the world No. 1 in doubles, and Birrell’s doubles victory gave Australia a lifeline.
“It’s been a busy 24 hours,” Hunter told reporters.
“It was obviously a quick turnaround, but for me, representing my country is the greatest honor and honestly the most amazing thing I can ever do with my tennis career,” she said.
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