Italy Lifts Fifth Billie Jean King Cup Finals Trophy

Team Italy, Billie Jean King Cup, Malaga
Team Italy (photo: Angel Martinez/Getty Images for ITF)

MALAGA/WASHINGTON, November 21, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)

Throughout championship week at the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals in Malaga, World No. 4 Jasmine Paolini was near perfect. After all, she won four of the five matches she played for Italy, combining her relentless energy and talent in both singles and in doubles with her Olympic gold medal teammate Sara Errani.

After securing Italy’s tie-clinching second point, with a 6-2, 6-1 one-sided victory over Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia, in a match that lasted only 65 minutes, the diminutive and dynamic Paolini raised her arms in celebration — and so did the Italian fans that filled Martín Carpena Arena. She had clinched the Billie Jean Cup Finals championship title for her country – the first one in 11 years for the Azzurri – and it came a year after Italy finished runner-up to Canada.

Earlier, unheralded Lucia Bronzetti put the Italians on the scoreboard with an impressive 6-2, 6-4 win over Viktoria Hruncakova, in an hour and 21 minutes. She hit 10 winners plus three aces, won six of nine break points and outpointed Hruncakova 59-47.

“It was much tension today than the day before,” Bronzetti said post-match. “Somehow, I managed to do it, to stay focused on my game. … I’m so proud to represent this team and to bring this point to Italy.”

Bronzetti’s triumph set the table for Italy and Paolini delivered her country with its fifth Billie Jean King Cup Finals trophy. Both Italians dominated their Slovakian opponents and wasted little time or effort. It was Sramkova’s first loss at the Finals after pulling off impressive victories over Danielle Collins of the United States, Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia and Great Britain’s Katie Boulter. However, against Paolini, Sramkova’s nerves got the best of her and the Italian No. 1 took full advantage.

“Unbelievable year,” said Paolini, during an on-court interview before the trophy ceremony. Indeed, a year-ending Top-5 ranking, which included a run to the finals at both Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. Plus, she won her first WTA 1000 title in Dubai and teamed with Errani to win a gold medal in doubles at the Paris Olympics.

“It’s a crazy year, I don’t know to finish like this with a title in Billie Jean King Cup. It’s amazing, I don’t have words to describe it. I’m trying just to enjoy every moment. It’s important to understand where you are, I feel lucky to be in this position, in this team. I think we played unbelievable this week.

“Today I was repeating to myself: ‘You’re going to give 100 percent.’ If we win, we win. If you lose, we accept that. I fight for every ball.”

Indeed, Paolini won 71 percent of her first-serve points, hit nine winners, converted five of 10 break points and outpointed Sramkova 57-36. She benefited from 25 unforced errors as well as 19 forced errors by Sramkova.

There was a sense of redemption for Italy as this year’s team that arrived in Malaga featured four players from the 2023 squad – Paolini, Bronzetti, Martina Trevisan and Elisabetta Cocciaretto. The team also included ageless, 37-year-old Errani, who celebrated the Italian’s last title win in 2013. She will be forever remembered for her underarm serve on match point that eeked out a 2-1 victory for Italy over Poland in the semifinal round and advanced them to face Slovakia for the title.

“It’s really a dream come true,” Italy’s team captain Tathiana Garbin said. “I have such great champions, great players, but mostly, great human beings. I’m so proud of them, they fight every day.”

Looking back, underdog finalist Slovakia, which last won the BJK King Cup title in 2002, was the most surprising team among the 12 that came to Malaga. Not only were they the smallest country in the Finals, they also eliminated three Grand Slam nations en route to the championship final: the United States in the first round, Australia in the quarterfinals and Great Britain in the semifinals.

Slovakia team captain Matej Liptak saluted Italy during his team’s post-tie news conference. “Every match is different. I can just say I compliment and [pay] respect to Italy and [their] team. I think they really played good, good matches today, and they were better. …

“We are sad today, but for sure before the tournament we will be happy with what happened to Slovak country now. We can just say we are sad now but very happy for the future with this result.”

Added Hruncakova: “Yeah, I mean, as the captain said, for now, these emotions are a little bit sad, but I think we need to look at the whole thing, the whole picture, and what we did here. It’s absolutely amazing, and I think we need [a] couple hours, maybe [a] couple days to actually realize it.”

Meanwhile, after celebrating her fourth BJK Cup title for Team Italy, Errani – whom Cocciaretto labeled “the brain of the team” – said she’s “just one more [member] of the team” and was “proud to be part of this team.”

Errani added: “We know each other so well from long, long time. It’s so nice to be here. We had a really good week. We had a lot of fun. We play good tennis.”

 

Search

Brigitte Urban
Tennis photographer
camera lens

International Blogs

Dietmar Kaspar

Bandecchi siegt im Final-Thriller gegen Snigur bei den THERME ERDING OPEN

November 14, 2024

Robert Frank

TCG Charity Cup bringt 13.000 Euro für den guten Zweck

October 16, 2024

Florian Heer

Apostolos Tsitsipas: “Coaching ist etwas Persönliches!”

September 4, 2024

Podcast

Categories