by The two-time big singles finalist Jasmine Paolini swore on Monday, “to fight to the last ball” when she hopes to keep a second Billie Jean King Cup title in a row this week.
The Italians want to be the first country to successfully defend their crown in the women’s team competition since the Czech Republic in 2016 and start the hosts China on Tuesday.
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Paolini was the star of the Italian squad in the final last November and won four of the five games she played in Malaga to help her nation win a fifth BJK Cup and the first since 2013.
Paolini will probably compete against the Chinese Wang Xinyu in the quarterfinals in the quarterfinals in the quarter-finals in the quarterfinals a two-time Grand Slam Singles finalist and reigning Olympic double champion alongside compatriot Sara Errani in the quarter-finals.
“I am always looking forward to playing this kind of competition. I really like it, it’s an honor,” said Paolini, the world number eight, to reporters.
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“I will fight until the last ball.”
In the absence of the Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who recovered from the elbow surgery, Wang Xinyu is China’s top player in Shenzhen this week.
Wang was 34 in the world. Last year he was a silver medalist in the mixed doubles at the Olympic Games in Paris and won the title 2023 French Open Women’s doubles together with HSieh Su-Wei from Taiwan.
The 23-year-old Shenzhenborn Wang takes a 1-1 head-to-head record in her expected collision with Paolini.
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“I think she thinks it’s something really different,” said Wang. “For me it is the first time that the Billie Jean King Cup finals plays, and I also play at home. I’m really looking forward to it.”
The US captain Lindsay Davenport is glad that she has a deep squad that she can rely on.
The Australian Open master Madison Keys withdrew and was replaced by the tournament debutant McCartney Kessler.
The team USA will by Jessica Pegula with number seven from World No. Shenzhen-the best rated players in Shenzhen-Das Team USA will take over a Kazakhstan led by Elena Rybakina on Thursday in the quarterfinals.
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“I expect Rybakina and (Yulia) Putintseva singles to play for them. We will go through all of our lists and matchups. I am so blessed to have such a deep team and so many options,” said Davenport.
The BJK Cup final has risen in the calendar and, in contrast to its typical November slot, planned from September 16 to 21, in contrast to its typical November slot, a change that was highly thumbs up by many players and captains, including Davenport and Pegula.
“Every single woman up here immediately said yes,” said Davenport.
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“It seems planned that this fits the players much better.”
In the other quarter -finals, a returning Paula Badosa, who has been traveling since Wimbledon because of a back injury, will lead Spain against strong Ukraine on Wednesday.
Last year’s semi -finalist Great Britain will be missing on Thursday without Emma Raducanu against Japan, the four -time main winner Naomi Osaka.
Devices:
Italy against China, Ukraine against Spain, USA against Kazakhstan, Japan against Great Britain, Great Britain
STR/PST
