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Wednesday, November 20, 2024

BJK Cup Finals '24: Forza⁵


Finally, one for the thumb!






BILLIE JEAN KING CUP FINALS (Malaga, ESP/HCI)
1st: GBR def. GER 2-0 - MVP: Raducanu
1st: SVK def. USA 2-1 [dd] - MVP: Hruncakova/Mihalikova
1st: POL def. ESP 2-0 - MVP: Swiatek
1st: JPN def. ROU 2-1 [dd] - MVP: Shibahara
QF: GBR def. #1 CAN 2-0 - MVP: Boulter
QF: SVK def. #4 AUS 2-0 - MVP: Sramkova
QF: POL def. #2 CZE 2-1 [dd] - MVP: Swiatek
QF: #3 ITA def. JPN 2-1 [dd] - MVP: Paolini
SF: #3 ITA def. POL 2-1 [dd] - MVP: Errani/Paolini
SF: SVK def. GBR 2-1 [dd] - MVP: Sramkova
F: #3 ITA def. SVK 2-0 - MVP: Paolini




1. Sara Errani/Jasmine Paolini, ITA ...while they didn't win the *biggest* doubles titles in '24, the Italians were the best duo on tour this season. A Gold medal, Roland Garros final, and four titles (two of them 1000s) proved that over the course of the year, and their performance with the heat on in Malaga only gilded that particular lily. Twice the Italians' collective fate was in their hands in deciding doubles matches, and both times they came through in the clutch, defeating Japan (QF Aoyama/Hozumi) and Poland (SF Kawa/Swiatek) in the nation's first two ties of the week, then never needing to be called on in the Final vs. Slovakia.

Make no mistake, the pair's partnership and the confidence the rest of the team (and captain Tathiana Garbin) had in their ability to win the doubles if called upon was surely the heart of soul of the turn-back-the-clock effort that brought Italy a fifth Cup title, the first in eleven years after having come up short in last year's final against Canada.

While Paolini added yet another new experience to her career resume, 37-year old Errani has to be experiencing a sense of deja vu. The last active member of the famed Italian Quartet that combined to win four titles in eight years (2006-13), though Errani participated in just three of them, '24 has seen the veteran earn yet another turn in the champion's circle after some lean (and controversial) years over the past decade. Not long ago, it seemed that such recaptured glory was out of her reach.

But if women's tennis has learned anything over the years, it is to *never* count out an Italian. Any Italian.
2. Viktoria Hruncakova/Tereza Mihalikova, SVK ...the wins and celebrations of this doubles pair will stand as the memorable snapshots of Slovakia's run to the nation's first Cup final since winning the title in 2002. They combined to upset the U.S. in the 1st Round (def. Krueger/Townsend) and Poland in the SF (def. Kawa/Swiatek) via deciding doubles matches to edge out the competition and advance.

For her part, though she was 1-2 overall in singles, Hruncakova posted a tie-opening victory over Kimberly Birrell (AUS) in the QF, making it the only time SVK won the #1 singles match over four ties in Malaga (Hruncakova also posted two wins in the 4-0 victory -- one each in s/d -- over SLO in April's Qualifiers to help reach the BJKF event).
3. Jasmine Paolini, ITA ...Paolini made her Cup debut for Team Italia back in 2017, and it took until 2020 (eight completed matches later) before she got her first *completed* win (her maiden match was a deciding doubles win over, interestingly, SVK when Schmiedlova/Sramkova retired after just seven games).

In last year's BJKF Final, Paolini fell 2 & 3 to Leylah Fernandez as Canada stormed to the title. A year later, she was a combined 4-1 in Malaga, joining with Errani for two DD wins as well as forcing the DD in JPN (def. Uchijima) in the QF, taking Iga Swiatek to three sets in a singles loss in the semis, and then clinching Italy's fifth Cup win with a 2 & 1 win over Sramkova to close out Italy's 2-0 victory.

Was there really any doubt that Paolini would win that match? I mean, after the stunning improvement her results have shown over the last twelve months (w/ two slam finals, four second week runs in majors, a 1000 title, two wins over Rybakina and a #4 ranking), there was *no* way the Tennis Gods would allow her to lose in her final singles match of the year, right?
4. Iga Swiatek, POL ...after a disappointing WTAF defense that ended in round robin play, Swiatek tried to put the Polish team on her shoulders in Malaga. After an admirable attempt, it just wasn't enough to get the team into its first Cup final.

Iga *did* manage to pull POL into its maiden semis, though, winning three-set matches over Paula Badosa (1r) and Linda Noskova (QF), then joining with Katarzyna Kawa to take out the Czechs in the deciding doubles. She sent the tie vs. Italy to the doubles again with a win over Jasmine Paolini (another three-setter) in the semis with her 11th Top 10 win of '24. But Swiatek & Kawa couldn't repeat their feat, falling to Paolini & Sara Errani in straights (losing a 5-1 2nd set lead in an attempt to force a MTB).

Swiatek finishes the season with 64 wins, her third straight 60+ season. She was 5-0 in Cup singles (where she's won 10 straight, and had 12 consecutive s/d wins before the loss vs. the Italians).

The only Top 10 player to participate in 2024's Qualifiers round and BJK Cup Finals event, Swiatek's body of work is enough to earn her Backspin's BJK Cup Player of the Year for the entire *season*, just ahead of the likes of Emma Raducanu and Viktoria Hruncakova.

Meanwhile, in one of the (likely) most telling stats over the past few seasons (and *my* favorite Iga statistic of all, I think), it should be noted that while Swiatek has gone 156-24 in her career as the #1-ranked played in the world, when she's twice dropped to #2 in consecutive seasons in 2023-24 she's gone a possibly *more* impressive 17-2.
5. Rebecca Sramkova, SVK ...while her doubles partners/teammates got the glory shot celebration videos with two DD wins, Sramkova did the heavy lifting in Malaga to make SVK's run to the final possible.

On fire since the U.S. Open, in a stretch where she's reached three tour finals (winning her maiden title) and gone a combined 20-5 (after a 26-18 start to '24), Sramkova went 3-0 in Malaga singles to help push Slovakia into the BJK limelight. With SVK down 0-1, she twice won matches to force the doubles (vs. Collins in the 1st Round, Boulter in the SF) and clinched another tie (w/ a 1 & 2 win over Tomljanvoic to shut down AUS in the QF), though couldn't come up with yet another win vs. Jasmine Paolini in the Final.
6. Emma Raducanu, GBR ...along with Swiatek, Raducanu had the best overall singles season in Cup play. In leading Team GB into the semifinals (a second such appearance in the last three BJK Cup Finals), she notched wins over Jule Niemeier, Rebecca Marino and Victoria Hruncakova to improve to 5-0 on the year (she had wins over Garcia and Parry on clay in the spring Qualifiers), but saw Katie Boulter's loss to Rebecca Sramkova send the SF vs. Slovakia to the doubles, were Hruncakova/Mihalikova won their their second deciding doubles contest of the week.
7. Lucia Bronzetti, ITA ...every good/great Cup team needs a player who toils just outside the spotlight, getting the key wins that allow the big names to clinch victory. In Malaga, that was Bronzetti, who won in her first two career Cup singles outings to give Italy important 1-0 leads in the SF (vs. Magda Linette/POL) and Final (vs. Viktoria Hruncakova/SVK).
8. Ena Shibahara, JPN ...Shibahara's fulfilling 2024 singles journey finally found its way into Cup action, as the longtime doubles specialist (where she's gone 8-1 for Team JPN, with her only loss coming in a "dead" WD match last spring) made her singles debut in the Malaga event. She sent the 1st Round vs. Romania to doubles (won by Aoyama/Hozumi) with a win over Jaqueline Cristian, and then defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto in three sets in the QF opener against Italy. Errani/Paolini defeated Aoyama/Hozumi to end Japan's run, handing Ai Sugiyama her only defeat in her first nine ties since becoming the Japanese captain in 2023.

Shibahara is now 10-0 in "live" s/d ties in Cup play, and has 51 overall singles wins this season (she'd never won more than 16 in any season before '24, and had a total of 78 combined from 2017-23).










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1. BJKF Final Match #1 - Lucia Bronzetti/ITA def. Viktoria Hruncakova/SVK 6-2/6-4
BJKF Final Match #2 - Jasmine Paolini/ITA def. Rebecca Sramkova/SVK 6-2/6-1
...in a second consecutive BJK final, the Italians win their first Cup crown for captain Tathiana Garbin, who wasn't part of any of Italy's title wins in 2006, 2009, 2010 or 2013. Meanwhile, Sara Errani gets her fourth, while the likes of Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Martina Trevisan and Bronzetti have their first tastes.



Win #5 brings the Italians into a fourth place tie (w/ RUS and ESP) on the all-time title list behind the U.S. (18), Czech Republic (11) and Australia (7). The U.S. and Australia have combined for just one title (US '17) since the Bannerettes' 2000 win, while the Aussies are title-less since 1974.
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2. BJKF 1st Rd. - SVK def. USA 2-1.
Match #1 - Taylor Townsend/USA def. Renata Jamrichova/SVK 7-5/6-4
Match #2 - Rebecca Sramkova/SVK def. Danielle Collins/USA 6-2/7-5
Match #3 - Viktoria Hruncakova/Tereza Mihalikova (SVK) def. Ashlyn Krueger/Taylor Townsend (USA) 6-3/3-6 [10-8]
...Lindsay Davenport's first year as the U.S. captain ends with a swift exit from the BJK Cup Finals following (overall) one of the most successful tour seasons in ages by the deep and talented Bannerette contingent; while Slovakia's stunning run to a first Cup final since 2002 begins with a stunning upset.

But was it really?

Yes, the Slovaks were suddenly unsteady as they flirted with a late collapse, leading 9-2 in the breaker before finally winning on MP #7. But Sramkova was surely the most in-form player in the mix here, Collins hasn't won a match since the Olympics (this was her fifth straight loss, starting with her retirement vs. Swiatek in Paris), and Hruncakova has a history of clutch Cup results (this wasn't her only deciding doubles win with Mihalkova in Malaga). Even Slovakia seems to have Team USA's number, as one of Kathy Rinaldi's final squads (in BJKF round robin play) also lost a three-match tie vs. SVK in 2021.


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3. POL/CZE QF Match #2 - Iga Swiatek/POL def. Linda Noskova/CZE
...7-6(4)/4-6/7-5. Noskova, already with a career win over Swiatek ('24 AO 4r), puts up a fight but goes down to force the doubles as Petr Pala's "gut instinct" to go with the young Crusher *doesn't* seal the deal for the Czechs.

Swiatek led 4-2 in the 1st before Noskova forced a TB, won by the Pole; then Iga led 4-1 in the 3rd before the Czech tied things at 5-5. Swiatek swept the final two games.




POL/CZE QF Match #3 - Iga Swiatek/Katarzyna Kawa (POL) def. Marie Bouzkova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-2/6-4
...the Poles get a rare deciding doubles win over the Czechs, who have specialized in such victories during their many Cup title runs. The Poles led 4-0 in the 2nd and were pushed as Bouzkova/Siniakova got to 4-4, to no avail, as Poland reached its first SF.



Since 2011, the Czechs are now 22-4 in hard court ties, and 12-4 in deciding doubles matches.
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4. ITA/POL SF Match #2 - Iga Swiatek/POL def. Jasmine Paolini/ITA 3-6/6-4/6-4
ITA/POL SF Match #3 - Sara Errani/Jasmine Paolini (ITA) def. Katarzyna Kawa/Iga Swiatek (POL) 7-5/7-5
...Swiatek comes up big in her third straight three-setter in Malaga, breaking Paolini to close both the 2nd and 3rd sets to force another deciding doubles contest.

This time, though, the Poles can't convert as it's Errani/Paolini who win a second straight DD match to send Italy to back-to-back Cup finals (and the nation's first win since 2013). The Italians fought off Poland to win both sets, saving 3 SP at 5-4 in the 1st, then staging a comeback from 5-1 down to win the 2nd.


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5. SVK/GBR SF Match #2 - Rebecca Sramkova/SVK def. Katie Boulter/GBR 2-6/6-4/6-4
SVK/GBR SF Match #3 - Viktoria Hruncakova/Tereza Mihalikova (SVK) def. Olivia Nicholls/Heather Watson (GBR) 6-2/6-2
...Sramkova saves the tie (again) to send things to another deciding doubles, where Hruncakova/Mihalkova wrap up Slovakia's first trip to a Cup final in 22 years.


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6. POL/ESP 1st Rd. Match #2 - Iga Swiatek/POL def. Paula Badosa/ESP
...6-3/6-7(5)/6-1. Swiatek adds win #8 to her now 10-match Cup winning streak, and she and Badosa produce what might be termed an anti-Navarrian moment at the net.

Side note: it was Badosa's birthday, but at least the Spaniard didn't question how Iga has so many fans and tell her that she doesn't respect her as a player, right?


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7. GBR/CAN QF Match #1 - Emma Raducanu/GBR def. Rebecca Marino/CAN 6-0/7-5
GBR/CAN QF Match #2 - Katie Boulter/GBR def. Leylah Fernandez/CAN 6-2/6-4
...Raducanu dominates Marino in the opener, winning 100% of her first serves, but -- ahhhh -- we were this close to the first Raducanu/Fernandez face-off since they met in the U.S. Open final in 2021!


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8. JPN/ROU 1st Rd. - Ena Shibahara/JPN def. Jaqueline Cristian/ROU
...6-4/7-6(2). After the singles season of her dreams (well, unless she follows the Krejcikova route and gets even *better* in singles after deciding to not be "just a doubles specialist"), Shibahara records her first solo win in Cup play.


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Former WTA No. 24 Christina McHale, who retired in 2022, is back competing after receiving a wild card into the USTA Pro Circuit W50 main draw in Boca Raton this week. www.usta.com/content/dam/...

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— Colette Lewis (@zootennis.bsky.social) November 18, 2024 at 6:24 PM





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*FED CUP/BJK CUP FINALS*
1963 United States def. Australia 2-1
1964 Australia def. United States 2-1
1965 Australia def. United States 2-1
1966 United States def. West Germany 3-0
1967 United States def. Great Britain 2-0
1968 Australia def. Netherlands 3-0
1969 United States def. Australia 2-1
1970 Australia def. West Germany 3-0
1971 Australia def. Great Britain 3-0
1972 South Africa def. Great Britain 2-1
1973 Australia def. South Africa 3-0
1974 Australia def. United States 2-1
1975 Czechoslovakia def. Australia 3-0
1976 United States def. Australia 2-1
1977 United States def. Australia 2-1
1978 United States def. Australia 2-1
1979 United States def. Australia 3-0
1980 United States def. Australia 3-0
1981 United States def. Great Britain 3-0
1982 United States def. West Germany 3-0
1983 Czechoslovakia def. West Germany 2-1
1984 Czechoslovakia def. Australia 2-1
1985 Czechoslovakia def. United States 2-1
1986 United States def. Czechoslovakia 3-0
1987 West Germany def. United States 2-1
1988 Czechoslovakia def. USSR 2-1
1989 United States def. Spain 3-0
1990 United States def. USSR 2-1
1991 Spain def. United States 2-1
1992 Germany def. Spain 2-1
1993 Spain def. Australia 3-0
1994 Spain def. United States 3-0
1995 Spain def. United States 3-2
1996 United States def. Spain 5-0
1997 France def. Netherlands 4-1
1998 Spain def. Switzerland 3-2
1999 United States def. Russia 4-1
2000 United States def. Spain 5-0
2001 Belgium def. Russia 2-1
2002 Slovak Republic def. Spain 3-1
2003 France def. United States 4-1
2004 Russia def. France 3-2
2005 Russia def. France 3-2
2006 Italy def. Belgium 3-2
2007 Russia def. Italy 4-0
2008 Russia def. Spain 4-0
2009 Italy def. United States 4-0
2010 Italy def. United States 3-1
2011 Czech Republic def. Russia 3-2
2012 Czech Republic def. Serbia 3-1
2013 Italy def. Russia 4-0
2014 Czech Republic def. Germany 3-1
2015 Czech Republic def. Russia 3-2
2016 Czech Republic def. France 3-2
2017 United States def. Belarus 3-2
2018 Czech Republic def. United States 3-0
2019 France def. Australia 3-2
2020-21 Russia (RTF) def. Switzerland 2-0
2022 Switzerland def. Australia 2-0
2023 Canada def. Italy 2-0
2024 Italy def. Slovakia 2-0
[MOST TITLES]
18 - United States
11 - Czech Republic/Czechoslovakia
7 - Australia
5 - Italy
5 - Russia/RTF/USSR
5 - Spain
3 - France
2 - Germany/West Germany
1 - Belgium
1 - Canada
1 - Slovakia/Slovak Republic
1 - South Africa
1 - Switzerland

*BACKSPIN FED CUP/BJK CUP AWARDS*
*-non-title winning nation
[FED CUP/BJK CUP PLAYER OF YEAR]
2005 Elena Dementieva, RUS
2006 Francesca Schiavone, ITA
2007 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2008 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2009 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2010 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2011 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2012 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2013 Roberta Vinci, ITA
2014 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2015 Karolina Pliskova, CZE
2016 Caroline Garcia, FRA*
2017 CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
2018 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2019 Ash Barty, AUS*
2020-21 Jil Teichmann, SUI*
2022 Belinda Bencic, SUI
2023 Leylah Fernandez, CAN
2024 Iga Swiatek, POL*
[FED CUP/BJK CUP CAPTAIN OF YEAR]
2015 Amelie Mauresmo, FRA*
2016 Paul Haarhuis, NED*
2017 Kathy Rinaldi, USA
2018 Kathy Rinaldi, USA*
2019 Julien Benneteau, FRA
2020-21 Igor Andreev, RUS (RTF)
2022 Alicia Molik, AUS*
2023 Tathiana Garbin, ITA*
2024 Matej Liptak, SVK*
[FED CUP/BJK CUP FINALS MVP]
2002 Daniela Hantuchova, SVK
2003 Amelie Mauresmo, FRA
2004 Anastasia Myskina, RUS
2005 Elena Dementieva, RUS
2006 Francesa Schiavone, ITA
2007 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2008 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2009 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2010 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2011 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2012 Lucie Safarova, CZE
2013 Roberta Vinci, ITA
2014 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2015 Karolina Pliskova, CZE
2016 Barbora Strycova, CZE
2017 CoCo Vandeweghe, USA
2018 Katerina Siniakova, CZE
2019 Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
2021 Liudmila Samsonova, RUS (RTF)
2022 Belinda Bencic, SUI
2023 Leylah Fernandez, CAN
2024 Sara Errani/Jasmine Paolini, ITA

*FC/BJK CUP FINAL - SINGLES CLINCHER VICTORY; since 2000*
[finals event; 2000-2001]
2000 Lindsay Davenport, USA
2001 Kim Clijsters, BEL
[single-elimination bracket format; 2002-19]
2002 Janette Husarova, SVK
2003 Amelie Mauresmo, FRA
2007 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2008 Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS
2009 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2010 Flavia Pennetta, ITA
2012 Lucie Safarova, CZE
2013 Sara Errani, ITA
2014 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2018 Katerina Siniakova, CZE
[finals event; 2020/21-current]
2021 Liudmila Samsonova, RUS (RTF)
2022 Belinda Bencic, SUI
2023 Leylah Fernandez, CAN
2024 Jasmine Paolini, ITA



*FED/BJK CUP SEMIFINALS - since 2000*
2000 2001 2002
United States (W)
Belgium
Czech Republic
Spain (RU)		 Russia (W)
Belgium (RU)
France (Group 2nd)
Spain (Group 2nd)		 Italy
Slovak Republic (W)
Austria
Spain (RU)
2003 2004 2005
Belgium
United States (RU)
Russia
France (W)		 France (RU)
Spain
Russia (W)
Austria		 Russia (W)
United States
Spain
France (RU)
2006 2007 2008
Belgium (RU)
United States
Spain
Italy (W)		 Italy (RU)
France
Russia (W)
United States		 Russia (W)
United States
China
Spain (RU)
2009 2010 2011
Russia
Italy (W)
United States (RU)
Czech Republic		 Italy (W)
Czech Republic
Russia
United States (RU)		 Italy
Russia (RU)
Czech Republic (W)
Belgium
2012 2013 2014
Russia
Serbia (RU)
Italy
Czech Republic (W)		 Czech Republic
Italy (W)
Russia (RU)
Slovak Republic		 Italy
Czech Republic (W)
Germany (RU)
Australia
2015 2016 2017
Czech Republic (W)
France
Russia (RU)
Germany		 Czech Republic (W)
Switzerland
France (RU)
Netherlands		 Czech Republic
United States (W)
Belarus (RU)
Switzerland
2018 2019 2020/21
Germany
Czech Republic (W)
France
United States (RU)		 Romania
France (W)
Belarus
Australia (RU)		 Russian TF (W)
United States
Australia
Switzerland (RU)
2022 2023 2024
Switzerland (W)
Czech Republic
Great Britain
Australia (RU)		 Czech Republic
Canada (W)
Italy (RU)
Slovenia		 Great Britain
Slovakia (RU)
Poland
Italy (W)









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The most unqualified president-elect in American history is picking the most unqualified candidates to help run America to the ground. The world was warned about this.

— ??????????°??.??*:??? (@lepapillonblue.bsky.social) November 18, 2024 at 4:41 PM


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Current disposition: Watching My Cousin Vinny. It's got more rule of law than we're gonna see in the next four years.

— Mueller, She Wrote (@muellershewrote.bsky.social) November 18, 2024 at 4:36 PM


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When Nikki Haley is mocking you for being a fraud and a sellout, that’s when you know it’s really bad because she’s an expert.

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— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) November 18, 2024 at 1:53 PM


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All for now. Backspin Awards up next.
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