Italy beats the United States to defend Billie Jean King Cup title

Italy defended its Billie Jean King Cup title with victory over the United States in Shenzhen on Sunday.

Singles victories for Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Jasmine Paolini over Emma Navarro and Jessica Pegula respectively meant there was no need for a decider as Italy defended its title in rather uncomplicated fashion, not dropping a set and leaving doubles specialist Sara Errani to warm the sidelines.

Cocciaretto was first up for the 2024 champions and overcame Navarro, to whom she is 73 ranking places inferior, with little fuss.

Not the first time Cocciaretto had upset an American with a far superior singles ranking this year, she put on an masterclass of baseline aggression to eliminate Pegula in the Wimbledon first round in July. Her 6-4 6-4 victory on Sunday was similarly straightforward.

Cocciaretto took an immediate break in the first set and saw it out comfortably. Navarro could only force a single break point when her opponent was serving for the set lead, and once neutralised, Cocciaretto dispatched her first set point.

The Italian scuppered two break points as Navarro swerved a similarly poor start to the second set, and after following up with consecutive love holds, edged towards levelling the match with a break for 4-2 — her first of the match.

But Cocciaretto remained composed, and again began to exhibit the ball-striking qualities which were so clinically on show in her victory over Pegula at the All England Club. She turned the set on its head with back-to-back breaks — to 15 and then to 30 — and successfully served out the match at the second attempt, clipping the baseline with a down-the-line backhand on the approach.

“It was an unbelievable match for me,” said Cocciaretto. “I know that I had to play my best tennis. I’m really happy about the performance and the point that I gave to Italy.”

That meant Paolini, the driving force behind Italy’s 2024 win, could seal the trophy in the second singles rubber. Despite struggling for a deep run at a Grand Slam this season and a change of coach, the qualities of Paolini’s breakout year were still lingering. While a little erratic, once she took the lead on Sunday, there was little doubt she would see it through.

Pegula exerted some heavy pressure on Paolini’s serve in the opening set, while remaining steadfast on her own. The Italian saw off four break points, before she finally forced one of her own; it was timely, and clinically dispatched, as she caught Pegula cold with a flat backhand down the line.

Pegula’s serve evaporated thereafter. The U.S. Open semifinalist failed to record a single hold, and was twice broken to love as Paolini stormed to victory. Pegula did get two breaks of her own, the second of which saw her recover three match points, but the comeback was never on, meaning the U.S. is forced to wait at least another year for the trophy which has evaded it since 2017.

The U.S. is record 18-time winners of the Billie Jean King Cup, largely owing to its dominance from the 1960 to the 1990s. Its 21st-century record is not quite so emphatic, with Sunday’s defeat the fifth lost final out of seven since 2000.

Italy, whose composition lends itself so well to the format, took its sixth title with victory on Sunday. Italy has pulled clear of Spain and Russia as the competition’s fourth-most successful team in history, and it became the first to defend the trophy since the Czech Republic’s three consecutive wins from 2014-16.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Tennis, Women’s Tennis

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