BJK Cup: Bencic and Teichmann put Swiss on the board as their title quest begins
2021 BJK Cup runner-up Switzerland blanked Italy to begin their quest for a title in Glasgow, while USA edged Poland and Spain defeated Kazakhstan.
Belinda Bencic and Jil Teichmann at BJK Cup 2022 || Imago / Panoramic
Switzerland was one victory from reaching the holy grail of women’s team tennis in 2021, but a deflating loss to Team Russia in the final left them heartbroken and hungry to take the next step in 2022.
Another step was taken in their title quest on Wednesday in Glasgow, as Heinz Guenthardt’s squad shut out Italy 3-0, thanks to singles victories by Jil Teichmann (3-6, 4-6, 7-6(5) over Elisabetta Cocciaretto) and Belinda Bencic (7-5, 6-3 over Jasmine Paolini).
“For sure the emotions were very high after that lost final,” Bencic admitted on Wednesday, “but also, we made it to the finals, which is amazing. The positive feelings prevail. But I feel like we are so motivated to go again.”
Bencic said she took confidence from watching Teichmann save a match point in her tense scuffle with Cocciaretto, who had entered play having won eight of her last nine matches.
“It gave me huge boost to see Jil winning, turning around the match,” she said. “She was fighting so hard and really like gave me a boost before the match. I was feeling more confident going on the court, and I just tried to do the same thing.”
Switzerland, which also took the doubles to make it a clean sweep, moves to the top of Group A, which also features Team Canada.
Here are the results from Wednesday’s other three ties in Glasgow
“For sure the emotions were very high after that lost final, but also, we made it to the finals, which is amazing. The positive feelings prevail. But I feel like we are so motivated to go again.”
— Belinda Bencic
Badosa tops Rybakina, sending Spain to victory over Kazakhstan
It was a successful BJK Cup debut for Paula Badosa. The current world No 13 may have come into Glasgow cold, having lost five out of six and dipped outside of the top-10 after Guadalajara in October, but she came through in a big way for her country as she battled past Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, to lock up the victory for Spain after Nuria Parrizas Dias defeated Yulia Putintseva, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5).
The victory leaves Kazakhstan at 1-1, while Spain moves to the top of Group C at 1-0. Spain can reach the semi-finals with a win over Great Britain on Thursday.
Slovakia 2 Belgium 1
Slovakia bounced back from a defeat at the hands of Australia on Tuesday by taking out the Belgians 2-1.
Viktoria Kuzmova took out Ysaline Bonaventure in straight sets, while Anna Karolina Schmeidlova clinched the win with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 win over Maryna Zanevska.
Schmeidlova got her first BJK Cup singles win of the season, overcoming the loss of a first set in which she had a set point.
“It wasn’t easy at the end, but I’m happy that, as I said, that I won here. It’s for the first time in this competition, so I’m extremely happy,” she said.
Australia can lock up Group B tomorrow with a win over Belgium.
Schmiedlova and her team will be watching and hoping they get some help.
“I think it’s a very big success that we win today as a team,” she said. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we cannot change it. We did everything we could. But we will follow it, for sure.”
McCoco delivers in doubles as USA edge Poland
Even without world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the mix at BJK Cup, Poland gave Team USA a stern test as Magda Linette came through with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 takedown of world No 11 Madison Keys to force a doubles decider in Glasgow.
But the Americans trotted out their secret weapon, the doubles tandem of Coco Gauff and Caty McNally, and the dynamic duo dropped just three games to send the Americans to the top of the table in Group D.
Gauff and McNally – aka McCoco – took out Linette and Alicja Rosolska 6-1 6-2 in a match that finished well after midnight in Glasgow. The Americans needed just 47 minutes to seal the victory, which was also aided by Danielle Collins 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2) triumph over Magdalena Frech in the first rubber of the tie.
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