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Sunday, November 12, 2023

BJK Finals '23: It's Canada's Cup, eh?


Canada and its true north -- aka Leylah Fernandez -- crash the BJK Cup party in Seville.









BILLIE JEAN KING CUP FINALS (Seville, ESP/HCI)
F:Canada def. Italy 2-0 - MVP: Leylah Fernandez
BILLIE JEAN KING CUP PLAYOFFS
[Bratislava, SVK - HCI] - SVK def. ARG 3-1
[Charleroi, BEL - HCI] - BEL def. HUN 3-1
[London, GBR - HCI] - GBR d. SWE 3-1
[Brasilia, BRA - RCO] - BRA def. KOR 4-0
[Vilnius, LTU - HCI] - UKR d. NED 3-1
[Kraljevo, SRB - RCI] - ROU def. SRB 4-0
[Tokyo, JPN - HCI] - JPN def. COL 3-2 [dd]
[Schwechat, AUT - RCI] - MEX def. AUT 3-2 [dd]


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BJK CUP FINALS MVP: Leylah Fernandez/CAN
...Fernandez's amazing, remarkable and utterly magnificent BJK Cup season ended in Seville exactly the way it *should* have, with her being on the court and firing off a clean backhand passing shot from the baseline on MP to clinch the game, set, match and title -- the first ever -- for Canada. In Spain, just as she was with the colors on her back all Cup season long, Fernandez proved to be historically untouchable.

At times during her career, Fernandez has seemed almost laboratory-built for Cup play, as few players can fire up a crowd with more flair, or be inspired to still greater heights from the corresponding roars that she's helped to create (see her '21 U.S. Open run). This season it all came to bear for Team Canada as, at every important moment along the path to the title, Fernandez was there. She never slipped up once.

In the Qualifiers during the spring, Fernandez was the only player to have a hand in all three of her team's *live* points en route to victory, winning two singles matches and then joining with Gaby Dabrowski in the deciding doubles to defeat Belgium 3-2. Nothing changed in Seville. In round robin play, Fernandez's match #2 wins (over Sara Sorribes Tormo and Magda Linette) clinched both 3-0 sweeps of Spain and Poland in Group C. In the semis, her three-set win over Marketa Vondrousva ended the Czech's 13-match, 26-set Cup winning streak and sent things to the deciding doubles, where she again teamed with Dabrowski to defeat no less than future Hall of Famers Barbora Krejickova & Katerina Siniakova and send Canada into its first Cup final.

After Marina Stakusic set the table in the final with a match #1 victory, Fernandez knocked off Jasmine Paolini to clinch another '23 tie win (making her five-for-five this Cup season) and join in the celebration of her nation's first Fed/BJK Cup title run.

A case could be made that Seville saw Fernandez finish off the best one-season Cup run ever. At the very least, it's the best under the current event format (in play since 2020-21) and the best in *any* format since 2017, when CoCo Vandeweghe went a record 8-0 in live rubbers (6-0 ws, 2-0 wd) while leading the U.S. to the title early in Kathy Rinaldi's captaincy.

This season, Fernandez matched Vandeweghe's 8-0 mark, going 6-0 in singles (2-0 in the Qualifiers, 2-0 in Finals RR, then 2-0 in the SF/F) and 2-0 in doubles (Q's and SF). Under the new format, there's a *little* bit of room for a "better" season, as the most combined wins a single player *could* gather is 11 (3 in the Qualifiers, 4 in RR, 2 in the SF and 2 in the Final). Fernandez won't have a chance at such a thing in '24, as Canada is automatically qualified for next fall's BJK Finals and won't have to play in the Qualifiers.

For her career, Fernandez is 16-3 (12-3/4-0) in Cup play.


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RISER: Jasmine Paolini/ITA
...Paolini has played her way into the Top 30 and four WTA finals over the last few years, but the fiery Italian seems perfectly suited to Cup play.

Right on cue, Paolini was 3-0 in RR and semifinal action in Seville, getting a win over Caroline Garcia and clinching Italy's first trip to the Cup final in a decade with a three-set victory over Tamara Zidansek to sweep Slovenia in the semis. With Italy's Cup life on the line in the second match in the final, Paolini forced Leylah Fernandez into a series of long rallies and games but proved to be unable to ultimately make a dent in the forces of a foe perhaps even *more* pefectly suited than *she* for such an atmosphere.


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VETERAN: Martina Trevisan/ITA
...the 30-year old isn't the equal to the glorious Italian generation of Cup players who preceded her, but the player who sparked in '22 with a tour title and RG semifinal run has proven this season to be more than a springtime flash in the pan, showing well in 1000 events (2 QF on hard court, a 4r on clay), reaching a WTA semi and helping Italy into that United Cup event final back in January.

Had things turned out differently, Trevisan may have been Italy's newest MVP en route to a Cup title. But after going 2-0 in round robin play and then kicking things off in the semis with a win over the upstart Slovenian team's Kaja Juvan to improve her '23 mark to 4-0, Trevisan became the third victim of the week of Canadian teen Cup sensation Marina Stakusic. The loss handed the keys to the trophy room to Fernandez, and the rest was history.

Still, with the likes of Camila Giorgi always a wild card (both on the court, as well as when her schedule will even make her available for Cup play), Trevisan could very well prove to be the beating heart of Captain Tathiana Garbin's Team Italia effort the next few years.


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FRESH FACE: Marina Stakusic/CAN
...Stakusic had been riding a hot hand in recent months, as the 18-year old had won three ITF titles since September, going 17-1 as she prepared to make her BJK Cup debut. Little did anyone expect, though, that Captain Heidi El Tabakh's gamble would pay off so handsomely and that the teenager would play such a *big* role in Canada's unexpected title run in Seville. After having never recorded a Top 100 win, she notched three over the course of the week, defeating Rebeka Masarova and Magdalena Frech in round robin play then, after coming back to earth in a loss to Barbora Krejickova in the SF vs. CZE, opened the finals with a momentum-starting win over Martina Trevisan, who'd previously been undefeated in Cup play for the week (and season).

While Leylah Fernandez ultimately did the "heavy lifting" for the week (and Cup year) by winning the saving and/or clinching matches, Stakusic's wins set the tone and made the end result seem *possible* and then, in the end, a reality.


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DOUBLES: Gaby Dabrowski/CAN
...of course, we can't forget Dabrowski.

The reigning U.S. Open doubles champ added some Cup glory to her ledger in '23. While Leylah Fernandez garnered the headlines and adoration (including a Heart Award last spring), it was Dabrowski by her side for both of the deciding doubles victories -- in the Qualifiers vs. BEL's Flipkens/Minnen, then the semis vs. CZE -- en route to BJK Cup history.

Her win with Fernandez over Krejickova/Siniakova was Dabrowski's seventh straight WD victory for Team Canada, a stretch during which she's played with Fernandez, Carol Zhao and Genie Bouchard (going 2-0 w/ the latter to complete 3-0 RR sweeps in Seville).


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TOP CAPTAINS: Tathiana Garbin/ITA (2023) and Heidi El Tabakh/CAN (2023 Finals)
...hopefully, by 2024 the BJK Cup website's new design will weed out the bugs and actually *tell* anyone looking around who is actually captaining *all* the squads in action during play (it took Google searches to figure out some of the Playoff ties this week). Thankfully, we *knew* who was calling the shots for the two finalists.

In the same week in which the successful runs at captain for Kathy Rinaldi (USA) and Alicia Molik (AUS) came to an end, two new stars continued to emerge in Seville. As it is, Garbin has cobbled together an underrated Italian squad -- the "Forzettes" seem admirably plucky successors to the famed four title-winning Quartet -- and led the nation back to its first Cup final since 2013. She deserves the *2023* Captain of the Year honors for such a resurrection, one which a few years ago didn't seem likely. As recently as 2020, Italy had fallen into Eurore/Africa zone play for the first time since 1997.



El Tabakh has worked in relative obscurity in the last few ties, but has been fortunate enough to have Leylah Fernandez to depend on in what turned out be Canada's maiden title run. Her inclusion of teenager Marina Stakusic for these Finals was a brilliant move (such roster-building practice is necessary -- even *Genie Bouchard* won two doubles matches! -- considering the seemingly perpetual unavailability of the nation's lone slam singles champ), and with a slew of even younger would-be roster members coming behind *this* week's new star, El Tabakh might have many more opportunities to develop a consistent "gut instinct" down the line.


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1. BJK Finals Match #2 - Leylah Fernandez/CAN def. Jasmine Paolini/ITA
...6-2/6-3. Imagine if you-know-who was ever able to join in on the fun.


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2. BJK SF match #3 - Gaby Dabrowski Leylah Fernandez (CAN) def. Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
...7-5/7-6(3). Since 2006, the Czechs have gone 6-0 in Cup finals, while Italy has posted a 4-2 mark. Yet through the twelve different concluding ties they've never faced off against *each other* in the final. The first such meeting was just one match from happening in Seville, but fate -- and, you know, Canadians -- stepped in and put an end to such thoughts.



With the loss, the Czech Cup squad drops to 12-4 in deciding doubles matches since 2011, and 28-6 in overall ties.

Meanwhile...


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3. BJK SF Match #2 - Leylah Fernandez/CAN def. Marketa Vondrousova/CZE
...6-2/2-6/6-3. Fernandez's lone three-set singles match of the week, and she made the most of it, keeping Canada alive in the semis and ending Vondrousova's 13-match, 26-set Cup winning streak, a run which began in 2017.


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4. BJK RR Match #1 - Marina Stakusic def. Rebeka Masarova
...6-3/6-1. The beginning of a beautiful friendship, as Stakusic makes her Cup debut a memorable one with her first career Top 100 (#65 Masarova) victory.



She followed up with two more over #63 Magdalena Frech (from a set and break down) and #43 Martina Trevisan (to open the Finals tie).
===============================================
5. BJK RR March #2 Leylah Fernandez/CAN def. Sara Sorribes Tormo/ESP
...7-6(8)/7-6(7). If it'd happened in the SF/F, it'd been played with a classic Cup plotline in front of a Spanish crowd. But it was in the opening tie of Group C.

Still, Sorribes Tormo served for the 1st set at 6-5, then held three SP in the TB. In the 2nd, Fernandez trailed 5-2, and Sorribes Tormo again served for a set (at 5-3), then held two SP in the 2nd set TB. Fernandez won in straights in 2:53, and away Team Canada went.


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6. BJK RR Match #3 - Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (CZE) def. Danielle Collins/Taylor Townsend (USA)
...6-3/7-5. The Czechs win the deciding doubles to close out Group A play and return to the semis, ending Kathy Rinaldi's tenure as the U.S. team captain. We'll see how Lindsay Davenport steers the ship starting in '24.



Czech captain Petr Pala used four different players -- Vondrousova, Bouzkova, Siniakova and Noskova -- in RR singles play, saving Barbora Krejcikova for the semis. Once there,she won in singles but lost in the deciding doubles when asked to play a second time on the day.
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7. BJK RR Match #1 - Kaja Juvan/SLO def. Ajla Tomljanovic/AUS
...6-4/6-1. Slovenia's first win in BJK Finals play. The nation would win Group B with a 1-1 RR mark (winning a three-way tie-breaker over the limited AUS and KAZ squads), losing to Italy in the semis.


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8. BJK RR Match #1 - Linda Noskova/CZE def. Celine Naef
...7-6(2)/4-6/6-4. The next generation steps up, with Noskova winning a battle of 18-year olds making their Cup debuts. She rallied from 4-1 down in the 3rd to do it.
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HM- BJK RR Match #3 - Caroline Garcia/Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) def. Jule Niemeier/Laura Siegemund (GER)
...5-7/6-3 [10-1]. Four years after they clinched the final *Fed* Cup championship in 2019 (w/ a win over AUS's Barty/Stosur in Australia), the French duo return to *BJK* Cup action, going 2-0 in RR play as France failed to advance out of Group play.
===============================================








*BJK CUP PLAYOFF RECAPS*


Meanwhile, a whole *other* set of BJK ties (8, in fact, using the traditional best-of-5 format) took place this weekend in various cities around the globe, as the overly crowded final weekend of Cup play produced a set of nations (in an oddly neutered group of ties, since all Cup attention was on Seville) who'll advance into the '24 Qualifiers next spring with a shot to reach *next* year's Finals.

SVK def. ARG 3-1 [Bratislava, SVK]
MVP: Viktoria Hruncakova, SVK
...Slovakia's 3-1 final score edge belies what was a tie that was consisently up for grabs. Argentina took the early lead with Julia Riera's win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, then Hruncakova dropped the 1st set to Nadia Podoroska before rallying to win in three to knot the tie. 16-year old Renata Jamrichova (a WI/US jr. semifinalist this season) notched a win over Podoroska in her Cup debut, but with the tie on her racket Hruncakova dropped the 1st again against Riera. No matter, she rallied once more to win 3-6/6-4/6-4 and (finally) clinch the tie.




BEL def. HUN 3-1 [Charleroi, NED]
MVP: Yanina Wickmayer, BEL
...the Belgian veteran capped her first Cup season since '19 with a pair of wins, including the clinching singles victory over Dalma Galfi after a day earlier the Hungarian had started the tie with an upset of Greet Minnen in the opening match. Wickmayer's two wins were her first for Team Belgium since 2017.




GBR def. SWE 3-1 [London, ENG]
MVP: Katie Boulter, GBR
...a year after getting a "gift" spot (an unoffical LL berth as hosts, as they'd lost in the Qualifiers) in the late-scheduled Finals event in Glasgow (then slipping into the semis with a 1-1 RR record, and getting within a deciding doubles MTB vs. AUS of reaching the final in front of an "accidental" home crowd in what is supposed to be a *neutral* event in the new format), the Brits were back home, but trying to return to next year's qualifying round. After Kajsa Rinaldo Persson upset Jodie Burrage in the opening match, Katie Boulter won back-to-back rubbers on consecutive days to hand Harriet Dart a chance to clinch the win. She got the job done.




BRA def. KOR 4-0 [Brasilia, BRA]
MVP: Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA
...Brazil's (suddenly) two-headed monster of Elite Trophy winner Haddad Maia (2-0) and Pan American Games champ Laura Pigossi made quick work of the South Koreans, dropping just nine total games in three singles matches.




UKR def. NED 3-1 [Vilnius, LTU]
MVP: Anhelina Kalinina, UKR
...when a home tie *couldn't* be a home tie, the Ukrainians still found a way to prevail. Arantxa Rus knotted the tie at 1-1 with a straight sets wins over Dayana Yastremska on Saturday, but Kalinina got revenge with a win over Rus in the Sunday opener. Then Yastremska returned to clinch the victory with a win over Suzy Lamens.




ROU def. SRB 4-0 [Kraljevo, SRB]
MVP: Jaqueline Cristian, ROU
...the Bracelettes were no match for the Countess, who swept both her singles matches vs. Aleksandra Krunic and Lola Rodijovic to lead the Romanian shutout.




JPN def. COL 3-2 [dd] [Tokyo, JPN]
MVP: Shuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara, JPN
...Ai Sugiyama's captainship continues to hint that she could take Japan's Cup efforts to a higher level, as the team erased a 2-1 deficit (Camila Osorio had posted a pair of straight sets wins over Mai Hontama and Nao Hibino) and staged a comeback victory in Tokyo. Hontama rebounded with a win over Maria Fernanda Herazo Gonzalez, then Aoyama/Shibahara defeated Osorio & Yuliana Lizarazo 7-6(5)/6-2 in the deciding doubles. Aoyama/Shibahara are 8-0 in their Cup career as a duo, with Aoyama now 24-4 for her Cup career.




MEX def. AUT 3-2 [dd] [Schwechat, AUT]
MVP: Fernanda Contreras, MEX
...it looked as if just one of the eight Playoff ties would end with a deciding doubles showdown, but then MEX/AUT happened. Contreras had a big week. A few days ago, she announced her fourthcoming novel ("it's kind of like a Dan Brown type of vibe. Like a Ken Follett novel."), then this weekend she was the only player to have a hand in all three of her nation's points in a best-of-five tie. After opening with a Day 1 win over Tamira Paszek, Contreras put Mexico ahead 2-1 with an opening Day 2 win over Sinja Kraus. Once Giuliana Olmos dropped her second singles match of the weekend, Contreras was called upon again with the score knotted at 2-2. With Olmos by her side, Contreras donned the cape and teamed with her countrywoman to win an 8-6 MTB over Melanie Klaffner & Kraus to send Mexico in next spring's qualifier round.








*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
[MOST TITLES]
18 - United States
11 - Czech Republic/Czechoslovakia
7 - Australia
5 - Russia
5 - Spain
4 - Italy
3 - France
2 - West Germany/Germany
2 - Slovakia
1 - Belgium
1 - Canada
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, RUS
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
[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*
[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

*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

*CUP SEASON RECORDS*
[Format through 2019]
8-0 (live) SEASON: CoCo Vandeweghe, USA (2017; 6-0 ws, 2-0 wd)
[BJK Cup w/ Finals format]
8-0 (live) SEASON: Leylah Fernandez, CAN (2023; 6-0 ws, 2-0 wd)

*RECENT CZECH CUP HISTORY*
[2009-2018]
20 - consecutive indoor tie victories (2010-18)
18 - consecutive tie victories on hard court (2010-18)
11 - consecutive home tie victories (2010-18)
10 - consecutive SF (2009-18)
6 - titles in 8 years (2011-18)
5 - title in 6 years (2011-16)
[2011-current]
12-4 - deciding doubles matches
22-4 - hardcourt ties
6-2 - claycourt ties
25-4 - indoor ties
3-2 - outdoor ties
13-2 - home site ties (w/ '21 BJK Finals event)
10-2 - road site ties
5-2 - neutral site (w/ '23 UKR Q in Antalya)
28-6 - overall tie record






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ITF PLAYER: Emma Navarro/USA
...one of the biggest movers in the rankings over the course of '23, Navarro spent the first week of the "offseason" further improving her position for '24. Playing in her Charleston hometown, the 22-year old reached her eighth singles final (7 ITF, 1 125) of the season, winning her fifth '23 crown and the biggest of her career with a 6-1/6-1 win in the $100K final over Panna Udvardy.

19-3 since the U.S. Open, Navarro dropped just seven games over her four matches during the week. Closing in on an Australian Open seed, Navarro will be up to #33 on Monday. She's the *fourth* highest ranked U.S. woman! You could win a few tennis knowledge bets with that knowledge, I'd wager.
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SURPRISE: Carson Branstine/CAN
...while her fellow Canadians were battling in Seville, Branstine picked up her second career ITF singles and doubles titles in Monastir, Tunisia.

Branstine, 23, is a Californian who began playing for Canada (her mother's native country) in 2017. After non-playing stints (she was a redshirt and had three surgeries, on both knees and her hip) on the college squads of USC and Virginia, Branstine ultimately played NCAA ball at Texas A&M for two seasons before going out with yet another hip injury. In 2017, she'd won the AO/RG junior doubles with Bianca Andreescu.



Just back after missing a year and her fourth surgery (on her hip), Branstine defeated Brit Ranah Akua Stoiber in a 7-5/4-6/6-3 final to take the singles, and teamed with German Selina Dal to earn doubles honors.


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COMEBACK: Sabine Lisicki/GER
...Lisicki has been coming back from some injury or another for most of the past decade, but the former Wimbledon finalist finally got back into the winner's circle this weekend in Calgary, winning her first singles title on any level since her last tour-level win in Hong Kong in 2014.

After having only reached one other final since that 2014 win, in a WTA 125 in '18, Lisicki defeated Canadian Stacey Fung (a 3-time ITF winner in '23) in a 7-6(2)/6-7(5)/6-3 final to claim her first crown on the challenger level since 2007. She'll jump 95 spots in the Monday rankings, climbing back into the Top 300 for the first time since 2019.


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FRESH FACES: Brenda Fruhvirtova/CZE and Linda Klimovicova/CZE
...another week, another *two* Czech Crushers taking home singles titles.

In Heraklion (GRE), 16-year old Fruhvirtova improved to 14-0 in career challenger finals with her sixth ITF title of the season, defeating Hordette Ekaterina Makarova 6-1/6-3 in the final. She's 44-9 in pro events this season, and 95-18 over the past two seasons.

In Solarino (ITA), 19-year old Klimovicova swept the s/d titles at the $40K event. In singles, she defeated Brit Emilie Lindh Gallagher 6-3/6-7(5)/6-1 to pick up her second win of the season, and teamed with fellow Czech Julie Struplova, 18, to take the doubles.

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DOUBLES: Hailey Baptiste/Whitney Osuigwe, USA/USA
...in the Charleston $100K, Baptiste/Osuigwe followed up their WTA 125 Midland win last week with still another title, staving off MP in the MTB and winning 13-11 over Nigina Abduraimova & Carole Monnet.

Osuigwe, the 2017 RG girls' champ, has found success in doubles this season, winning three titles (w/ an additional $25K) with Baptiste, as well as another low-level ITF challenger alongside 16-year old sister Victoria.
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JUNIOR STARS: USA Jr. BJK Cup 16s
...in a repeat of last year's Junior BJK Cup final, the U.S. knocked off the Czechs 2-0 in the final, claiming a record eighth title in the competition and a fifth trophy in the last six editions of the event.

In Cordoba, Spain, the Bannerettes didn't lose a set all week, then "avenged" (per Captain Tom Gutteridge) the senior U.S. BJK Cup squad's round robin-ending loss to the Czechs in Seville at the BJK Finals. 15-year olds Tyra Caterina Grant (def. Alena Kovackova 6-4/6-1) and Iva Jovic (def. Laura Samsonva 6-1/7-5) led the way. Jovic was a part of last year's title team, as well, but this time got to see the court in the big moments down the stretch.

The clinching moment from Jovic (converted via an overrule by the chair umpire after looking at a scuff in the dirt)...





*JUNIOR FED CUP/BJK CUP CHAMPIONS [16s] - since 2000*
2000 Czech Republic
2001 Czech Republic
2002 Belarus
2003 Netherlands
2004 Argentina
2005 Poland
2006 Belarus
2007 Australia
2008 United States
2009 Russia
2010 Russia
2011 Australia
2012 United States
2013 Russia
2014 United States
2015 Czech Republic
2016 Poland
2017 United States
2018 United States
2019 United States
2020 DNP
2021 Czech Republic
2022 United States
2023 United States
[most titles]
8 - USA
5 - AUS,CZE/TCH
4 - RUS
2 - ARG,BEL,BLR,GER/FRG,NED,POL
1 - FRA,ITA,RSA,SLO

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Maybe next year Stearns will get to show her stuff *on* the court...




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Nettie meets his/her (its?) fans... and inspiration. (The red glasses sort of give it away.)























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FREE LINK




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All for now.
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