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Monday, April 15, 2024

BJK Qualifiers '24: Don't Look Back, Because the Romanians Are Gaining on You

And they're off...!









*TEN THINGS THAT WERE GOOD*

1. Happy Ro-ma-nians!



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2. A *full* Chinese team (for once)

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3. The Return of the Serbian Good Luck Charm (aka The Bracelet)



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4. German Veteran Style



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5. Top 10ers Who Showed Up: Iga, Queen-wen and Jess

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6. C-L-A-R-A!



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7. A Reminder of What Certain Players are *Capable* of Doing (Pt.I)



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8. A Reminder of What Certain Players are *Capable* of Doing (Pt.II)



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9. The Most Consistent Cup Squad in South America

...ummm, not so fast, Brazil. (Meanwhile, Argentina snickers.)

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10. A Star for Japan (but not *that* one)



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*SEVEN THAT WEREN'T AND/OR AREN'T*
1. Brazil (sorry, Sao Paulo fans)
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2. The Return of Caro: Cup Edition
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3. Top 10ers Who Didn't Show Up (when it mattered most): Ostapenko and Sakkari
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4. Opening sets during the Lindsay Davenport Era of U.S. BJK Cup history
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5. Ukraine... when 2-0 isn't what you think it is
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6. India's Chance at BJK Cup History (oops, there it goes)
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7. Yulia Putintseva with MP in Cup Play
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kosova-font


One that makes you wonder-if-we'll-ever-see-her (or long-to-see-her, if we're going to be optimistic) between the lines again. Still the best Aussie women's tennis player in the world...








*2024 BJK CUP QUALIFYING ROUND (Week 15)*






[BJK Qualifying Round]
...four of the twelve BJK Cup Finals slots had already been filled heading into this weekend's qualifiers, with last year's finalists (CAN/ITA) joined by a wild card team (CZE) and the new event host (ESP). So, eight spots in November's season-ender in Seville were up for grabs in the opening BJK week of '24.

Most of the eight Qualifier ties weren't close in the final tally (though individual matches within many of them proved to be a bit more challenging), but don't tell that to the Romanians. Well, unless you want to see a big smile (or is that a smirk?) come over all their faces.


Australia def. Mexico 4-0 / Brisbane, AUS (HCO)
...sure, Mexico had to travel half-way around the globe for this tie, but Australia was still a team lacking true "A"-level stars (the best Aussie women's player remains seated in the stands with her infant son), *and* was debuting a new team captain. After years of "In Alicia They Trust" team decisions, "In Sam They Trust" turned out pretry well for the Aussies, too. New Australia captain Sam Stosur rolled "snake eyes" in her first time out by sending into action a player who hadn't set foot in Cup play in eight years, an injury-prone firebrand and a teenager making her Team AUS debut... and still swept every match.



MVP Arina Rodionova/AUS

...the 34-year old last played in Cup action for AUS in 2016, and was a combined 0-2 (0-1/0-1) in her career. But after a slow start, she kicked things off with a 3-6/6-3/6-1 win over Giuliana Olmos in the opening match that prevented Mexico from picking up any sort of momentum.
FF Taylah Preston/AUS

...with AUS up 2-0 after Day 1, 18-year old Preston made her Cup debut with the tie on her racket. Marcela Zacarius got just two games off her, clinching a trip to Spain this November for the Aussies.
CAPT Sam Stosur/AUS

...at least for one week in Brisbane, the creator of more appetizing Down Under spread than Vegemite

Match #2 - Dasha Saville/AUS def. Marcela Zacarias/MEX 6-1/6-0
...if Mexico had any ideas of getting back into things and sleeping well in Brisbane heading into Day 2, Saville (the highest-ranked Aussie at #95) took care of that. With Rodionova and Saville's victories in hand, Australia never had to experience a moment of doubt.







Poland def. Switzerland 4-0 / Biel, SUI (HCI)
...if 2022 BJK champion Switzerland's top two players (Belinda Bencic and Viktorija Golubic) had been able to participate, or if past big-time Cup performer Jil Teichmann had played even one singles match (rather than in only a dead doubles encounter), this might have been a barnburner in Biel. As it turned out, Iga Swiatek rolled (twice), while recent Cup star Magdelena Frech again showed that she's at her most clutch while wearing the red-and-white Polish uni.

As would have been the case in '23, Poland is a legit title threat in the Finals in Seville... but only if Iga plays. With the WTAF (which she won last November) a little closer to Spain via Riyadh, unlike Cancun a season ago, maybe the chances are better this time.

It'd be even *more* likely if there was a week *between* the WTAF and BJK Finals, which there isn't this year... another example of the total lack of planning and coordination when it comes to scheduling women's tennis around the world.



MVP Iga Swiatek/POL

...Iga opened with a 3 & 1 win over Simona Waltert, then finished things off in Match #3 vs. Celine Naef, 4 & 3. She's now won seven straight Cup matches, and hasn't lost since more than a year and half *before* she won her maiden slam crown at RG in 2020 (February '19 vs. Yastremska).
CB Magdalena Frech/POL

...Frech had droopped three straight Cup singles matches since having a hand in all three points in a 3-2 Playoff tie win vs. Brazil in 2021. Subbed in for Magda Linette in Match #2, Frech saw Celine Naef serve for the match in the 2nd set before the Pole won in three.
CAPT Dawid Celt/POL

...it's so much less stressful when Iga is around, huh? Without her in the Finals last year, Poland went 0-2 (1-5 in matches) in RR play.

Match #2 - Magdalena Frech/POL def. Celine Naef/SUI 6-7(8)/7-5/6-3
...18-year old Naef won the 1st in a 10-8 TB, then served for the match at 5-4 in the 2nd. Down 0-2 (w/ Iga on deck again), the loss pretty much sealed Switzerland's fate.

Naef is still winless in her Cup career (0-4), but in two of her other losses she took Linda Noskova to three sets (after losing a 1st set TB) and lost another opening TB vs. Danielle Collins (both in '23). A little more season and the Swiss might have a new singles #1 performer.





Great Britain def. France 3-1 / Le Portel, FRA (RCI)
...two seasons removed from their stunning run to the BJK Cup semis (losing the DD vs. AUS) in Glasgow, the Brits (unlike when they slipped in as 11th hour hosts in '22) actually had to *win* this road tie vs. the French to earn a spot in Seville. Captain Anne Keothavong generally pushes the right buttons, and did so again this time... though they seemed to stick for a bit before releasing.

After Katie Boulter was crushed by Diane Parry (2 & love, 12 straight games lost) in the opener, the San Diego champ caught a reinvigorating wave in Match #3 to down Clara Burel in two. Around that victory, Emma Raducanu staged a pair of comebacks to carry Team GB back to the Finals.



MVP
Emma Raducanu/GBR

...she may be ranked #302 but, lest we forget, she *is* a former slam champion. Raducanu has thrived on big stages, and she did again in Le Portel, rallying from a set down (plus a 2nd set break vs. Caroline Garcia) on Friday to keep the Brits' ship afloat at the end of Day 1, then crushing the Pastries' hopes as if between two copies of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare with a second (cliching) comeback on Saturday vs. Diane Parry (w/ a 3rd set TB).
CAPT Anne Keothavong/GBR

..."If we do it again in Spain, you won't be able to say we didn't earn it."

[Ed.note: true... but I still don't believe hosts should get an automatic berth in the Cup finals field]

Match #2 - Emma Raducanu/GBR def. Caroline Garcia/FRA 3-6/6-3/6-2
...the win over #23 Garcia was Raducanu's best ranked victory since defeating a 21st-ranked Magda Linette and #13 Beatriz Haddad Maia in Indian Wells last year. She followed up with a win over Diane Parry. That Raducanu did it on clay, on which she hadn't won since '22 (and was just 6-6 *ever* as a pro before this week), was a bonus.

Parry is 129-74 on clay as a pro, and Garcia 118-83.






United States def. Belgium 4-0 / Orlando (FL), USA (HCO)
...with the Kathy Rinaldi era over for U.S. BJK Cup, that of new captain Lindsay Davenport begins. And after the Hall of Famer's first tie, well, a great big "whew!" is in order.

At first glance, the Bannerettes swept the Belgians, but if one looks just the under the surface the sense develops that if the opponent had been a more experienced one things might have gotten *really* troublesome. With a pair of top players -- #5 Jessie Pegula and #21 Emma Navarro -- in action vs. a pair of 19-year olds (#279 Sofia Costoulas and #278 Hanne Vandewinkel) making their Cup debuts and playing #1 and #2 singles, the thought that Orlando would host a steamrolling effort was front of mind. But both Pegula and Navarro (in her own debut) dropped opening sets to the pair and then had to scramble to win in three. If Elise Mertens had been on hand, 2-0 likely would have been 1-1 (or maybe even 0-2 if the pressure had *really* been on Navarro to win).

Still, with her feet under her, Pegula handled Vandewinkel to clinch the win on Day 2, and all was good. For now.



MVP Jessie Pegula/USA

...Pegula didn't make her Cup singles debut until 2022 at age 28. With her pair of wins over Sofia Costoulas (her first BJK three-setter) and Hanne Vandewinkel (a clinching 2 & love win befitting a world #5), she's now gone 5-1.
CAPT Lindsay Davenport/USA

...not the sort of chaos/headache-driven start that characterized Mary Joe Fernandez's captaincy (though a few more lost games may have brought on the deja vu), but not the sort of assured, benefit-of-the-doubt consistency of Kathy Rinaldi's time at the helm, either. The new U.S. Cup era would have been truly tested had Day 1 produced a singles loss (would LD have "panicked" and reached deeper into her roster on a "hunch?"), but it looks like that moment will have to wait until a later date.

Match #2 - Emma Navarro/USA def. Hanne Vandewinkel/BEL 4-6/6-4/6-3
...a rare debut Cupper vs. debut Cupper in something other than zone action, as world #21 Navarro takes out #278 Vandewinkel.

The Belgian claimed the 1st, and led 6-4/4-2 before Navarro swept the final four games of the set (denying Vandewinkel GP in both game 8 and 10 to get breaks of serve). Navarro broke to lead 5-3 in the 3rd (after denying the teenager two more GP), but had a difficult time serving out the win. She didn't convert on two MP, then had to save three BP before finally converting MP #3 to win in 2:30.






Japan def. Kazakhstan 3-1 / Tokyo, JPN (HCI)
...for years, Japan's Cup effort revolved around a one-for-all mentality, as former captain Toshihisa Tsuchihashi seemed to relish in playing as many players as possible (usually just one match each tie) rather than relying on individuals to fill clutch roles that might lead to some consistency and (maybe) bigger things. Enter Ai Sugiyama. The nation's all-time Cup service leader (12 years) moved into the Captain's position last year, and promptly helped lift the squad out of zone play last spring, through the Playoffs and into the '24 Qualifiers, employing a more traditional singles #1/#2 set-up with doubles specialists. The trend continued in Tokyo. Yes, Naomi Osaka was around this time, but it wasn't the four-time slam winner who was the star of the weekend. It was Nao Hibino (well, and maybe Sugiyama).



MVP Nao Hibino/JPN

...Hibino put the JPN team on her back in the singles, destroying Anna Danilina 6-1/6-0 and then saving 4 MP vs. Yulia Putintseva to sweep the singles and send Kazakhstan packing while Japan heads to Seville and the BFK Cup Finals event for the first time.

Before Sugiyama's ascension, Hibino hadn't played Cup in recent years, not participating from 2020-22. Last year, while putting up 40 overall wins in her '23 season (her most since '15) and getting her first tour title (Prague) in four years, she returned in the November Playoffs. With this week's work, she's now 3-1 under Captain Ai.
CB Naomi Osaka/JPN

...Osaka came into Tokyo without a Cup win since 2018, and was playing in just her second tie for JPN over that span ('21, a loss to Sorribes Tormo). She had almost as many slam titles (4) on her career resume as Fed/BJK Cup match wins (5). She added another "W" on Friday, putting JPN up 2-0 by defeating Yulia Putintseva 6-2/7-6 to set the stage for Hibino to complete the singles sweep on Saturday and secure the win.
DOWN Yulia Putintseva/KAZ

...going on the road (especially opening vs. Osaka) was a tough ask for Putintseva without some backing from another top singles player on the roster (no Elena). But she still had a shot to keep the tie alive in match #3 vs. Hibino. As has often been the case in her Cup past, Putintseva grabbed a lead and then watched it slip away along with Kazakhstan's (faint, admittedly) hopes of a comeback.
CAPT Ai Sugiyama/JPN

...Sugiyama knows all about the importance of teamwork (her 5 slam WD/MX titles and past doubles #1 ranking attest to that), but solid and consistent work from the best solo performers usually pays dividends, as well. Thus far, she's undefeated (7-0 in ties, over zone play and the BJK Cup Playoffs and Qualifying round) as the Japanese captain, with the team's biggest Cup matches in a generation (or two, as the nation was last in World Group play in 2013) set to come later this year.

Match #3 - Nao Hibino/JPN def. Yulia Putintseva/KAZ 6-4/3-6/7-6(7)
...so far in '24, Putintseva had avoided losing an early season match (or two) after holding MP, as has been her pattern in recent seasons. In fact, she won one from MP *down* in Australia. Well, she "made up" for that here.

The Kazakh twice held break leads in the 3rd vs. Hibino, only to immediately give them back a game later (games 4 and 6), then in the deciding TB took a 5-1 lead and... wait for it... had *quadruple* MP at 6-2 before dropping 7 of the final 8 points.






Germany def. Brazil 3-1 / Sao Paulo, BRA (RCI)
...Sao Paulo was ready for this tie, as were the Brazilian fans. So were the German players. The Brazilian players, not so much.

In the third GER/BRA match-up since the start of the current Cup format in 2020/21, the Germans relied on experience. The youngest player to hit the court for Rainer Schuettler's squad was 30-year old Anna-Lena Friedsam. She had the only loss, as 36-year olds Laura Siegemund and Tatjana Maria did the heavy lifting to send Germany to another BJK Cup Finals while Brazil continues to search for its first appearance (despite best-Brazilian-player-since-Bueno Beatriz Haddad Maia's 9-2 mark since the start of BJK Cup play, and with a seemingly "sturdy-enough-for-more-success" group behind her headed up by Laura Pigossi and Luisa Stefani).

In those three BJK ties, Germany is now 3-0, winning 10 of 12 matches.



MVP Laura Siegemund/GER

...Siegemund continues to make a later-career run. To date, it's included a tour-level WS final (Warsaw '23) and four QF over the past two seasons, as well as an AO 3rd Rd. ('23) and some big WD crowns ('22 Mia./'23 WTAF). She hadn't added big-stage Cup singles heroics to that mix, at least not until this weekend.

Siegemund made her Fed Cup debut in '17, but didn't play singles until '19 at age 30 (a loss to Sabalenka). She was 2-0 vs. Brazil in a (pre-pandemic) '20 tie (def. Teliana Pereira and Gabriela Ce), but hadn't won since until she opened this tie with a huge 6-4/6-2 upset of Haddad Maia. After Hadded kept the tie alive with a win over Friedsam, Siegemund shut any comeback talk down with another three-set triumph, this time over Carolina Alves (the fourth different Brazilian she's knocked off for her four career Cup wins) to clinch the Finals berth.
VET Tatjana Maria/GER

...her Match #2 win over Laura Pigossi (from a set down) gives her four straight Cup wins dating back to early 2020. Maria has posted wins in all three BJK ties vs. Brazil, downing Gabriela Ce in '20 and Pigossi (again) in '23.
CAPT Rainer Schuettler/GER

...in the four editions of BJK Cup play, Schuettler has now guided this team into the Finals event on three occasions despite the lack of an in-her-prime star on the roster. The likes of Siegemund, Maria, Kerber and Petkovic -- the last remaining cogs of what was a very underrated (other than Angie) generation -- have led the way, with just a *touch* of help being provided by the likes of Jule Niemeier and Eva Lys. That might have to change in '25 -- and surely soon after that -- if there will be a *fouth* Finals appearance.





Pity it was wasted.


Match #4 - Laura Siegemund/GER def. Carolina Alves/BRA 6-1/2-6/6-3
...hmmm, I wonder if Angie will show up in Seville?






Slovakia def. Slovenia 4-0 / Bratislava, SVK (HCI)
...maybe the most open-and-shut tie of the entire Qualifier batch, as the Slovaks never *really* allowed the under-womaned Slovenian squad (no Juvan or Hercog, and roster member Zidansek was a DNP) a way into the tie. With a wide talent gap, Captain Matej Liptak spread around the playing time. Anna Karolina Schmiedlova opened with a win over #812 Ela Nala Milic, then Viktoria Hruncakova won a three-setter over Slovenia's one legitimate singles threat (#203 Veronika Erjavec) and junior Renata Jamrichova was given the honor of wrapping up the win in Match #3.

MVP Viktoria Hruncakova/SVK

...Hruncakova may often seem to underperform as a tour-level player, but she's been a consistently good Cup competitor. She dropped the only set that SVK lost all weekend in her match with Erjavec, but the win put the Slovaks' lead at a nearly uncatchable 2-0 and improved her career singles mark to 12-3 (5-1 in her last six).
JR Renata Jamrichova/SVK

...a true hope for future success? The 16-year old made her Cup debut last November with a Playoff win over Nadia Podoroska, and kept her record clean with a 2 & love win over Erjavec that clinched the Slovakian victory. The junior #1, Jamrichova had already had quite the '24 season, winning the AO junior title in January and in March picking up her maiden pro challenger title.
CAPT Matej Liptak/SVK

..."Ask me about Renata."

Match #3 - Renata Jamrichova/SVK def. Veronika Erjavec/SLO 6-2/6-0
...two Cup matches, two wins. Last November (as #610) over then-#78 Podoroska to give SVK a 2-1 lead (in a best-of-5 tie), and as #684 over #203 Erjavec to clinch a berth in the Finals.

Not a bad early track record, whether you're 16 or twice that age.






Romania def. Ukraine 3-2 [dd] / Fernandina Beach (FL), USA (GCO)
...a year ago, Romania was the first nation in BJK Cup play (#8 counting the old "World Group" format tie) to lose a best-of-five tie after having a 2-0 lead, falling to Slovenia in the Qualifying round. Well, it's 2024... and one good turn(around) deserves another.

Once again, Ukraine was in position to host a BJK tie, but (of course) had to hit the road. In this case, Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida. All seemed well on Friday, as Lesia Tsurenko (def. Ana Bogdan) and Elina Svitlova (vs. Jaqueline Cristian) posted singles wins to give UKR a (seemingly) commanding 2-0 edge. Then came Saturday.

In a pair of three-setters, both Bogdan and Cristian switched off opponents and posted stunning wins to send the tie to the deciding doubles. A week after playing (and losing) in the Charleston doubles final, Lyudmyla & Nadiia Kichenok fell in straight sets to -- guess who -- Bogdan & Cristian (late subs by Captain Horia Tecau, who smartly went with the hot hands) as the Romanians burned a rare path to their first BJK Cup Finals.



MVP Ana Bogdan/ROU

...Bogdan's Match #1 loss to Tsurenko was her fifth straight since reaching the Cluj final in Romania. She dropped the last two sets 2 & love, so that she came back roaring on Saturday to take a three-setter over Svitolina with the tie on the Ukrainian's racket (she led 2-0) in the 3rd set might have been the most psychologically strong moment of the entire Cup weekend. With the team thrown a lifeline, Bogdan returned later to win the deciding doubles alongside Cristian.

Along with her Cluj run from February, this might qualify as Bogdan's *other* top career highlight. Oddly enough, she's *still* only 7-9 overall in '24.
RIS Jaqueline Cristian/ROU

...Cristian has reached tour SF (Cluj) and QF (Charleston) in this season's early months, posting two Top 20 wins (Keys, Navarro) in her last event. But her win over #42 Tsurenko, with the tie *again* on Ukraine's racket, might top it all.

She hadn't started off well, losing 3 & 5 to Svitolina in Match #1, converting just 3 of 13 BP chances. She converted 6/11 vs. Tsurenko, rallying from a set down to get the win, then took out the Kichenok sisters (w/ Bogdan) to send the Romanians to Seville.

Like Bogdan, even with a series of highs this season, Cristian is *still* looking up at .500, as she's 10-12 on the year.
CAPT Horia Tecau/ROU [Top Qualifiers Captain]

...hmmm. So, might Simona be in Seville come November? Halep had originally been listed on the ROU roster in March, but wasn't in Fernandina Beach. Back when the BJK Cup debuted its new format, Halep had said that she didn't anticipate playing the competition again. Might a year and a half in tennis purgatory have changed her mind?

Match #3 - Ana Bogdan/ROU def. Elina Svitolina/UKR 6-4/4-6/6-3
...if Bogdan's spring turns out to feature anything close to the return to the form that got her to the final in Cluj, this will be the moment she turned the corner.



*WORLD GROUP/BJK COMEBACKS FROM 0-2 DEFICIT*
1996 WG II 1st Rd. - Australia def. Canada(H)
1999 WG II 1st Rd. - Austria(H) def. Australia
2004 WG 2nd Rd. - Spain(H) def. Belgium
2011 WG 1st Rd. - Russia(H) def. France
2013 WG II 1st Rd. - Sweden def. Argentina(H)
2013 WG Semifinal - Russia(H) def. Slovak Republic
2015 WG 1st Rd. - France def. Italy(H)
[BJK era]
2023 Qualifiers - Slovenia(H) def. Romania
2024 Qualifiers (N) - Romania def. Ukraine






[BJK Cup Zones]
...there were some changes to the Cup zone promotional system for '24, as no longer are advancing nations determined by pool play followed by a promotional playoff face-off between the top teams at the end of the week. In both Americas I and Asia/Oceania I, promotion to November's BJK Cup Playoffs was determined solely by pool play (w/ the top two nations in the standings advancing).

In the larger Europe/Africa I zone, the three pool winners earned promotion, then faced off in a round robin to determine the final 1-2-3 ranking (w/ no impact on promotion), while the 2nd place nations in each pool engaged in a separate round robin to determine a fourth promoted nation.

In Europe/Africa II, the three pool winners played a round robin with just the top two nations moving on to '25 E/A I zone play.


[AMERICAS I - Bogota, COL / RCO]
...Argentina had a fairly easy time in advancing out of zone play, but the second promotional spot came down to the final day of round robin action. Unfortunately for the likes of Venezuela and Chile, who were both still in contention, hosts Colombia faced off with Argentina, which had nothing to play for, in its final tie. To their credit, the Argentines gave it a go, but Colombia won a 10-7 MTB in the deciding doubles to get the second spot (and, technically, finish in 1st place).

Promoted Nations (Top 2 in Pool play): COL,ARG




MVP Julia Riera/ARG

...a 125 semifinalist and Brisbane (WTA) 3rd Rounder in '24 (and a semifinalist last year in Rabat), 21-year old Riera is proving to be a South American player of note. She got the bulk of the singles action on the week (ARG #1 Podoroska wasn't there), and went 5-0 to improve to 11-1 in her Cup career.
MVP Yuliana Lizarazo/COL

...ranked #1297, she opened the final tie vs. ARG with the key win over #168 Martina Capurro Taborda that set things in motion for COL's promotion. Lizarazo was 4-0 in singles and 4-1 in doubles, including the clinching DD w/ Maria Paulina Perez-Garcia.
CAPT Mercedes Paz/ARG and Alejandro Gonzalez/COL

...ARG is proving to be the most reliable Cup team on the continent (sorry, BRA...but that's on you); while it apparently pays to be the host of zone action. I mean, they had to figure that ARG would gain promotion... and would then face off w/ COL on the final day either with a spot secured (helping Colombia) or with the spot on the line vs. a home team that would have an energized crowd on its side, right?

Yuliana Lizarazo/Maria Paulina Perez-Garcia (COL) def. Julieta Lara Estable/Julia Riera (ARG) 5-7/6-2 [10-7]
...I guess this *sorta* counted as a Promotional Playoff, at least for Colombia.

But, with the way things played out, it highlighted the problem with promoting nations based on Pool record alone... you can get an important week-ending tie where the result is only meaningful to *one* squad.









[ASIA/OCEANIA I - Changsha, CHN / RCO]
...for years, China (even pre-Covid) has fielded subpar teams in Cup play. That ended in Changsha (perhaps being the host nation precipiated this, hmmm?), as some of the nation's best young players not only were "asked" to show up, but played and won as the nation dominated Asia/Oceania I pool play.

The second promotional spot from the region seemed set heading into Friday, with South Korea riding high. Well, then things changed, as the Koreans (when a win would secure promotion) lost to India on the penultimate day of round robin play, falling in a deciding doubles match to Ankita Raina/Prarthana Thombare. The result put promotion to November's Playoffs squarely in the hands of the Indians themselves. All they had to do was defeat New Zealand (w/ one player ranked in the Top 600 -- former Swiss, until last month, Lulu Sun, whose parents both have New Zealand heritage and was actually born in the country before moving to Switzerland at age 5) on the final day of play, while Korea faced off with the superior Chinese squad. Well...

As it turned out, China *did* defeat Korea, but India's stunning loss to the Kiwis (Sun def. Raina 2 & love, then Paige Hourigan/Erin Routliffe won the DD to win 2-1) with everything on the line put the nation in a three-way tie with KOR and NZL (at 3-2). Since they all tied at 1-1 in the three-way competion, Korea advanced due to a batter match W/L (11-4 to IND's 8-7 and NZL's 7-8).



Promoted Nations (Top 2 in Pool play): CHN,KOR


MVP Zhu Lin/CHN

...China's dominant 5-0 (13-2 in matches) week stretched all the way to the final day of play, when the nation defeated South Korea even when it meant nothing. Five different women contributed singles wins, including Zheng Qinwen (2-0 -- she had 1 career win prior), Wang Xinyu (2-0, after being 0-3), Wang Xiyu (1-1) and even Guo Hanyu (1-0, in her debut at age 25). But Zhu led the pack with a 3-0 mark, stretching her career total to nine since her first nomination in 2017.
MVP Jang Su-jeong/KOR

...veteran Jang, now into her second decade of Cup participation, went 3-0 in singles (both Ku Yeonwoo and Park Sohyun won twice each) to push her career singles win total to 16.
CAPT Liu Feng/CHN and Cho Yoon-jeong/KOR

...maybe "Liu" translates to "lucky" in English. If *this* sort of Chinese team became a regular thing, well, things could happen.

No captain was listed on the BJK Cup site for KOR (Cho was the most recent, and may *still* be), but that isn't something new since the site redesign last year. Maybe it fits, though, since exactly how South Korea got out of the mess on Saturday that it'd put itself in on Friday is anyone's guess.

Lulu Sun/NZL def. Ankita Raina/IND 6-2/6-0
...oomph.

Thanks to Sun, the sun ultimately went down on India (in the deciding doubles), giving the soon-to-be 22-year old an early birthday present while the Indians are still seeking their first trip the BJK Finals.



Raina, a Cup star a few years ago, went 1-4 in singles on the week.







[EUROPE/AFRICA I - Oeiras, POR / RCO]
...Austria (2-1 in ties, though just 5-4 in matches) and the Netherlands (3-0) had clinched Pool victories (and promotion) after playing just two of three scheduled round robin ties; while Serbia was the most dominant nation in Pool play (3-0, 8-1). In the round robin between the three Pools' 2nd place teams, well, it was a S-H-O-W featuring brilliant highs and forehead-slapping lows.

The nations with perhaps the biggest-named rosters were Latvia, Greece and Denmark. Guess which three teams were relegated to fighting it out for a single spot in November's playoffs. But it wasn't even *that* simple.

Denmark had made it that far despite seeing Caroline Wozniacki retire from her opening match on Monday and never return, Latvia saw world #10 Alona Ostapenko lose to #164 Suzy Lamens on Tuesday, and Greece only used #6 Maria Sakkari once in singles in Pool play. Ostapenko sat out the singles in the 2nd Place RR, while Sakkari finally hit the court full-time. Greece's sweep vs LAT put the Playoff berth on its racket vs. Denmark, but Sakkari was upset by the big-hitting Clara Tauson, who once again proved to be at her best vs. a big name foe in a big moment (she's sort of made a career of such things to date), while teenager Johanne Christine Svendsen took down Valentini Grammatikopoulou as DEN surged into the catbird seat.

The Danes still had to defeat LAT to advance (or else GRE would slip in through the backdoor) in the final RR tie. They didn't falter.



Promoted Nations (won Pools): AUT,NED,SRB
Promoted Nation (won Pool 2nd Place RR): DEN


MVP Sinja Kraus/AUT

...the #222-ranked Austrian opened pool play with an upset win over former #1 Caroline Wozniacki, as the Dane retired after just seven games (winning none) due to injury. The win provided Austria with an unexpected (ultimately tie-breaking) point in the opening RR tie vs. Denmark, which it then won in a deciding doubles match (Kraus w/ Melanie Klaffner).

With one win in hand, the Austrians went to 2-0 with a win over Hungary (w/ Kraus/Klaffner again winning the deciding doubles), assuring first place in Pool A (winning the tie-breaker w/ DEN due to the 2-1 opener) and promotion to November's Playoffs before even playing their round robin finale.
MVP Suzan Lamens/NED

...the world #164 proved to be the clutch player of Pool B, knocking off both Zeynep Sonmez (w/ Turkey up 1-0) and #10 Alona Ostapenko (w/ Latvia up 1-0), then teaming with Demi Schuurs to win the deciding doubles vs. both nations. The 2-0 start (w/ Lamens' 4-0 s/d mark) clinched the Pool victory for the Dutch before playing their third tie.

In the final placement RR, Lamens added additional singles and deciding doubles wins vs. SRB.
MVP Aleksandra Krunic/SRB

...The Bracelet was back on her game in Oeiras.

The Serbian good luck charm was an uncharacteristic 0-2 (one loss each in s/d) in Cup play last November, having barely played all year (she was out from September '22 to June '23 w/ a knee injury). This time around she led the Serbs' dominant performance in Pool C play (3-0 in ties, 8-1 in matches, w/ the only loss a "dead" WD affair), going 3-0 in singles.

The now 31-year old Krunic -- present, standing next to AnaIvo/JJ, and/or leading the way (recently) for Team Serbia over the years -- has been a Serbian Cup stalwart for a decade, but hadn't won a singles match in two years. If she plays BJK in '25, she'll tie Jankovic for the most years of team service (12) for SRB.
MVP
Clara Tauson/DEN

...hey, how about Clara?

With Caroline Wozniacki shelved early in the week without winning a game, Tauson stepped up. BIG TIME. Suddenly thrust into the lead role, she went 5-0 on the week, running her Cup winning streak to nine. Since falling to Iga Swiatek in February 2019, she's gone 12-1 in singles for DEN (losing only to Ons Jabuer in February '21).

But they weren't just face-saving Pool wins, either. After the early loss to AUT when Wozniacki was injured, DEN won a pair of ties vs. BUL/HUN (w/ singles sweeps that left nothing to chance) to secure 2nd place in Pool A and earn a second chance in the RR for the fourth promotional spot.

With GRE a win a away from locking up the final spot, Tauson handed #6 Maria Sakkari a 6-4/6-4 defeat, her second over a Top 10 opponent (w/ Kontaveit at the '22 AO) in Denmark's win. Still a win away from promotion vs. LAT, Tauson clinched the spot when Darja Semenistaja retired after one set to hand DEN a 2-0 victory, ending a week that had started with a disheartening retirement with another that set the stage for an unexpected celebration.

Tauson is now 14-4 in her Cup career.
FF Johanne Christine Svendsen/DEN

...the 19-year old (#516) surely didn't expect to play *too* much this past week, other than maybe in a "meaningless" singles match or "dead" doubles contest. Boy, was she wrong.

Once Wozniacki was out after one match, she moved up a *big* notch, filling the role originally intended for Tauson. She couldn't have done it better, going 4-0 with Pool wins over Lina Karatancheva (Sesil's sister) and Adrienn Nagy. In the 2nd Place RR, she was key with a huge win over #xxx Valentini Grammatikopoulou in the tide-turning win over Greece, then 16-year old Adelina Lachinova (in for Ostapenko) in the last tie of the weekend in Oeiras.
JR Mia Ristic/SRB

...the 17-year old (#335) proved to be a fine #2 to Krunic, going 3-0 in Pool play with wins over Caijsa Hennemann, Valentini Grammatikopoulou and Malene Helgo. Last year, a then 16-year old Ristic lost to Hennemann in last year's E/A I zone play in her BJK debut week.

When things mattered less, Ristic lost twice to MVPs -- Suzan Lamens and Sinja Kraus -- during the final placement round robin, but she was "in the pocket" (sort of like a backup bracelet) when it mattered.
DB Demi Schuurs/NED and Melanie Klaffner/AUT

...Schuurs was Lamens' running mate in the pair of deciding doubles wins that clinched the early Pool victory (and promotion to the BJK Playoffs), then added another DD win with Lamens in the final placement RR.

Klaffner partnered Kraus in winning a pair of deciding doubles matches in Pool play, including the promotion-clinching win vs. Ostapenko/Semenistaja (LAT)
DOWN Greece and Latvia

...these were *supposedly* the two best nations in this zone. Both fumbled things in Pool play (LAT w/ its Top 10 player, GRE mostly w/o), then got another chance in the 2nd Place RR and did it again, switching roles as Latvia went without Alona Ostapenko, while Greece played *with* Maria Sakkari... and lost anyway.

(Head in hand.)
CAPT Marion Maruska/AUT, Elise Tamaela/NED, Dusan Vemic/SRB and Jens-Anker Andersen/DEN [Top Zones Captain]

...Vemic aside (w/ The Bracelet back in form this time around), their squads weren't exactly the ones expected to rise to the top in this competition.

The more "big-name" 2nd Place Round Robin (LAT vs. GRE vs. DEN) saw Wozniacki out injured, Sakkari falter and Ostapenko hang up a "DNP" sign in the singles. But Tauson was there, as well as the it-turned-out-be-a-brilliant-roster-choice Svendsen, and that was enough to make Andersen look almost like a genius.

Sinja Kraus/AUT def. Caroline Wozniacki/DEN 6-0/1-0 ret.
...not exactly the "welcome back" the Dane was anticipating, as her return to Cup play after a nine-year absence (since 2015) saw her win zero games and be unable to finish her opening match.

This was Wozniacki's first singles loss in Cup action since falling to Patty Schnyder in 2008.



Suzan Lamens/NED def. Alona Ostapenko/LAT 7-6(7)/6-4
...an Alona Special, as she falls to #164 Lamens in straights despite holding edges in both sets. It's Ostapenko's first WS loss in Cup play since a tight 7-6/7-6 defeat vs. Serena Williams in early '21. Ostapenko had had to go to a 3rd set TB to defeat #190 Francisca Jorge (POR) in her opening RR match of the week.








[EUROPE/AFRICA II - Vinius, LTU / HCO]
...Europe/Africa II promotion to E/A I was determined by a round robin between three Pool winners (CRO,EGY,LTU), with the top two in the three-way competition advancing. Croatia went 2-0, while the hosting Lithuanians defeated Egypt via a deciding doubles match.

Promoted Nations (Top 2 in round robin between 3 Pool winners): CRO,LTU


MVP Antonia Ruzic/CRO

...Ruzic went 3-0, getting wins over Kaia Kanepi, Lina Gjorcheska and Mayar Sherif (the Egyptian's only loss in five singles matches)
MVP Justina Mikulskyte/LTU

...recorded six wins (3s/3d) on the week, including a DD wins vs. Egypt, Israel and Morocco.
FF Klaudija Bubelyte/LTU and Lea Boskovic/CRO

...#651 Bubelyte, 21, lost in her opening match, then went 2-0 (including a win in the 2-1 def. of EGY), improving to 11-1 (7-1/4-0) in her Cup career.

23-year old Boskova went 5-0 (4-0/1-0) in the (mostly) #2 singles spot, including a win over Mikulsktye vs. LTU in placement play to help CRO finish atop the zone.
CAPT Marin Bradaric/CRO and Edita Liachoviciute/LTU

...with two players (Vekic/Martic) ranked in the Top 60 (plus ITF achievers like Jana Fett, Tena Lukas and Lucija Ciric Bagaric) and a top teen in Petra Marcinko, what is Croatia doing in E/A II anyway?

Meanwhile, Lithuania is one of three (out of four, only Portugal missed out) zone competition hosts to advance in Cup play this week.

Lina Gjorcheska/MKD def. Kaia Kanepi/EST 7-6/(4)6-4
...Kanepi has officially outlasted countrywoman Anett Kontaveit on the tennis tour, and this week the 38-year old returned to Cup play for the first time since 2015 with this loss in a tie vs. North Macedonia. She made her debut back in 2000.

After opening 0-3 (0-2/0-1), Kanepi got a late week win over Kosovo's Arlinda Rushita (#859), extending her team record for career singles wins to 29 (four more than Kontaveit). Her only other match this season prior to the week was an AO Q1 loss to Storm Hunter.




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ITF PLAYER: Moyuka Uchijima/JPN
...having already won a pair of ITF titles since December, the 22-year old picked up a third (and her biggest ever) in the $100K challenger in Zaragoza, Spain.

Uchijima's run started with a win over #1 seeded Arantxa Rus, and included additional victories over Olivia Gadecki, Iryna Shymanovich, Oksana Selekmeteva and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in a 6-1/6-2 final.

The week improves Uchijami's '24 mark to 20-8, while Bouzas Maneiro falls to 27-7 (the Spaniard has reached five ITF/125 finals, winning three) but will now crack the Top 100.
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JUNIOR STAR: Rositsa Dencheva/BUL
...in the J300 event in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, an all-BUL final saw 17-year old Dencheva run her winning streak to 11 matches, following up her J500 win in Cairo in February with another big title. #3-seed Dencheva rallied from a set down to defeat #2 seed Elizara Yaneva, 5-7/6-3/6-4. Dencheva had earlier knocked off #1 seed Teodora Kostovic in the semis.

The two Bulgarians combined to win the doubles title on home clay, defeating the German-Czech duo of Josy Daems and Sarah Melany Fajmonova.
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WHEELCHAIR: Yui Kamiji/JPN
...Kamiji's run continues in the long shadow of Diede de Groot.

This week, the world #2 swept the s/d titles at the Japan Open Super Series event in Iizuka, taking the doubles alongside Kgothatso Montjane (def. Aniek Van Koot & Saki Takamuro in the final) and the singles with wins over Montjane (SF) and Van Koot (F), the latter in a 2-6/6-1/6-0 contest.

Kamiji's four singles wins runs her '24 mark to 25-0 vs. non-de Groot opponents (38 straight), making her 117-2 in such outings from 2022 forward. She's picked up four titles this season (w/ three losses to the world #1 in finals), including three straight.

Kamiji has reached the singles final in her last eleven events, every tournament since her loss in the Wimbledon SF last summer.
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1. $35K Sharm El Sheikh EGY Final - Tereza Valentova def. Linda Klimovicova
...7-5/6-2. Another week, another Crusher champion... in a final against another Crusher.

17-year old Valentova wins the battle of Czechs over 19-year old Klimovicova, as the '23 U.S. Open junior finalist picks up her fourth pro title of the season, remaining undefeated in '24 at 19-0.


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2. $35K Boca Raton USA Final - Liv Hovde def. Akasha Urhobo
...3-6/6-4/6-2. The '22 Wimbledon girls' champ win her fourth pro title, as the 18-year old Texan rallies from a set down vs. fellow Bannerette Urhobo, a 17-year old wild card who was playing in her first pro final (after reaching her maiden SF in the Jackson $35K last week).

Teenagers were everywhere in Boca Raton, as Hovde had defeated Katrina Scott, 19, in the semis, whle Urhobo downed Maya Joint, 17.
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3. $50K Shenzhen CHN QF - Han Chi def. Wang Qiang
...3-6/7-6(8)/6-2. Wang returned to tennis this January (a 1r loss in Hua Hin) after missing all of 2023. In her second '24 tournament, the 32-year old Chinese vet (former #12, two-time WTA singles champion and '19 U.S. Open quarterfinalist) posted two MD wins, her first since tour-level Chennai in September '22, before falling in the QF to countrywoman Han. Wang had staged a comeback from 5-2 down in the 2nd to hold a MP in the TB, but lost it 10-8 and then fell in three.

Wang came into the week ranked at #806.
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*2024 BJK CUP FINALS NATIONS - 12 (Nov.)*
Canada (2023 champion)
Italy (2023 finalist)
Czech Republic (wild card)
Spain (host)
Australia (qualifier)
Germany (qualifier)
Great Britain (qualifier)
Japan (qualifier)
Poland (qualifier)
Romania (qualifier)
Slovakia (qualifier)
United States (qualifier)

[in 2024 Playoffs (Nov.)]
Belgium (lost qualifier)
Brazil (lost qualifier)
France (lost qualifier)
Kazakhstan (lost qualifier)
Mexico (lost qualifier)
Slovenia (lost qualifier)
Switzerland (lost qualifier)
Ukraine (lost qualifier)
Argentina (promoted from zone play)
Austria (promoted from zone play)
China (promoted from zone play)
Colombia (promoted from zone play)
Denmark (promoted from zone play)
Netherlands (promoted from zone play)
Serbia (promoted from zone play)
South Korea (promoted from zone play)


*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



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All for now.
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