April 12 (Reuters) – Belgium knocked out 18-times champions the U.S. to qualify for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on Saturday, as Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Spain, Ukraine and Czech Republic also secured places in the season-ending team event alongside hosts China.
Belgium sealed qualification in Ostend, where world number 149 Greet Minnen completed the upset with a 7-5 6-3 victory over Iva Jovic, sending her team back to the finals for the first time since 2022.
Britain booked their spot with a 3-1 win against Australia in Melbourne, wrapping up the tie with victory in the doubles after taking a commanding 2-0 lead from Friday’s singles matches.
Harriet Dart and Jodie Burrage sealed the contest with a 6-3 6-4 win over Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez, ending the Australian pair’s unbeaten doubles run in the Billie Jean King Cup dating back to November 2022.
Champions Italy also progressed after a 3-1 home win over Japan on clay in Velletri. Holding a 2-0 advantage overnight, Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani clinched the tie by defeating Shuko Aoyama and Eri Hozumi 6-2 7-5 in the doubles.
Ukraine booked a return to the finals for a second straight year with a dominant 4-0 victory over Poland in Gliwice.
Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok secured the decisive point with a 7-5 6-7(4) 6-3 win over Maja Chwalinska and Martyna Kubka, and then Oleksandra Oliynykova completed a perfect couple of days for Ukraine with a 6-4 6-1 win over Linda Klimovicova.
Spain took an unassailable 3-1 lead against Slovenia in Portoroz, with Aliona Bolsova and Sara Sorribes Tormo sealing qualification thanks to a 6-4 6-3 doubles win over Veronika Erjavec and Nika Radisic.
Kazakhstan advanced after Yulia Putintseva outlasted Canada’s Bianca Andreescu in a three-hour and 39-minute singles marathon in Astana.
Putintseva’s 7-6(5) 3-6 7-6(4) victory gave her side an unassailable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five tie.
Elsewhere, Czech Republic defeated Switzerland 3-2, with Marie Bouzkova sealing victory by defeating Viktorija Golubic 7-6(4) 6-3 in the deciding singles.
The Czechs forced a decider after Linda Noskova saved three match points to beat Belinda Bencic 6-3 3-6 7-6(9), before Bouzkova returned to the court to clinch the tie.
The Finals will be held in Shenzhen from September 22-27.
(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena and Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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