SHENZHEN, China – The United States team secured its place in the Billie Jean King Cup semifinals, marking its first appearance at this stage since 2021. The victory was achieved this Thursday after defeating Kazakhstan with a score of 2-1. Jessica Pegula and Taylor Townsend were the key figures in defeating Yulia Putintseva and Elena Rybakina in the decisive doubles match, with a score of 6-2, 7-6 (1). In the singles, Emma Navarro starred in an outstanding performance by defeating Putintseva with scores of 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (6). Navarro managed to overcome after saving two match points, coming back from a 6-4 disadvantage in the tiebreak and securing the last four points after two and a half hours of play. Elena Rybakina, former Wimbledon champion, tied the series by defeating Pegula 6-4, 6-1, in a match between two top 10 players. Pegula, after her defeat against Rybakina, teamed up with Townsend, number one in the world in doubles and two-time Grand Slam champion in this modality. Townsend, who generated controversy this week for her comments about Chinese food, for which she later apologized, played an important role in the triumph. The American duo dominated the first set and secured the victory in the tiebreak of the second set, thanks to a double fault by Rybakina.
The United States will face Great Britain in the semi-finals on Saturday. Great Britain secured their place in the semifinals by defeating Japan, after winning both singles matches in straight sets. Sonay Kartal overcame Ena Shibahara 6-3, 7-6 (4), while Katie Boulter sealed the victory by defeating Moyuka Uchijima 6-2, 6-1. In the other bracket, Ukraine will face the current champion, Italy, in the semifinals on Friday. Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina secured Ukraine’s spot in the final four after winning their respective singles matches against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and Paula Badosa. The BJK Cup tournament, formerly known as the Fed Cup, has seen the United States as the most successful team, with 18 titles, although they haven’t achieved the championship since 2017.I wanted to redeem myself a little against her [Rybakina] and help my team get the victory.
Pegula
