09/24/26 12:53:00
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09/24 12:51 CDT Italy recovers to beat host China 2-1 and reach another Billie
Jean King Cup semifinal
Italy recovers to beat host China 2-1 and reach another Billie Jean King Cup
semifinal
SHENZHEN, China (AP) --- Jasmine Paolini won both her singles and doubles
matches Thursday to help Italy beat host China 2-1 in the Billie Jean King Cup
quarterfinals.
Italy --- the two-time defending champion --- was trailing 1-0 after Zhang
Shuai defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-0, 6-2 to delight the home supporters.
But Paolini then beat Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 7-6 (4) and teamed up
with Sara Errani to defeat Guo Hanyu and Jiang Xinyu 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in their
doubles match to win the tie.
It was the 30-year-old Paolini's ninth successive match win in the tournament.
Italy faces Ukraine in the semifinals for the second successive year. The
semifinals are scheduled for Saturday with the final to be played Sunday.
Ukraine recovered from an upset to beat Belgium 2-1 earlier Thursday.
Doubles pair Anhelina Kalinina and Lyudmyla Kichenok beat Magali Kempen and
Lara Salden 6-3, 6-3 to clinch the win and send Ukraine to the semifinals for
just the second time.
Seventh-ranked Elina Svitolina was upset by Greet Minnen. Svitolina won the
first set 7-6 (5) but Minnen, ranked 217th, came back 6-4, 6-4 in the final two
sets to send the series to a deciding doubles match.
Kalinina had given Ukraine a 1-0 lead with a 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-1 win over Jana
Otzipka. The 474th-ranked Otzipka had 16 double faults.
Earlier in the week, Spain advanced to the semis with a 2-1 win over
Kazakhstan. On Friday, the Spaniards will face Czech Republic, which beat
Britain 2-0 in their quarterfinal.
That left the Czechs on course for a 12th title in the competition previously
called Fed Cup. The United States, which did not qualify for the finals, won a
record 18 titles.
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