Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers: Boulter and Svitolina lead the new wave as nations clinch Finals berths

With just one day of competition left in the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers, the first three countries have secured their spots in the tournament Finals. Elina Svitolina and Katie Boulter were among the heroines of the day, as Great Britain and Ukraine booked their places in the Finals.

They join Kazakhstan, led by Elena Rybakina and Yulia Putintseva, who had secured qualification a day earlier. With three groups settled, the final three spots in the Finals are still to be decided on Sunday.

After the first two rounds, Kazakhstan had already secured their spot in the BJK Cup Finals, having defeated Australia [2-1] and Colombia [3-0]. The Eurasian team, led by Elena Rybakina and Yulia Putintseva, had a dominant run in Brisbane, beating the hosts and winning 5 out of the 6 matches they played. Their only loss came in doubles against Australia, when doubles specialists Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez won in straight sets against Anna Danilina and Zhibek Kulambayeva.

Australia and Colombia played the final group-stage match with the sole purpose of deciding who would finish second, which impacts ITF rankings and potential matchups in future BJK Cup series. The South Americans were without their top players: Camila Osorio (No. 52) and Emiliana Arango (No. 84). Their best-ranked player was 31-year-old Yuliana Lizarazo, currently World No. 680. Australia swept the tie with wins from Maya Joint, Kimberly Birrell, and the Hunter/Perez duo in doubles, dropping only six games across all three matches – although it wasn’t enough to qualify.

What initially seemed like a particularly tough group—with Poland, Switzerland, and Ukraine competing on clay—shifted drastically due to two major absences: Iga Swiatek withdrew from the Polish team, and Belinda Bencic was also missing for Switzerland. Ukraine, however, fielded a full-strength squad led by Elina Svitolina (No. 18) and Marta Kostyuk (No. 25).

Poland opened with a 3-0 win over Switzerland, but Ukraine followed with a dominant 3-0 victory against Poland on the second day. This meant the Ukrainians only needed one win in their tie against Switzerland to secure qualification for the BJK Cup Finals.

In the opening match, the 19-year-old Swiss player Celine Naef (No. 178) pulled off a surprise win over Kostyuk, 6-4, 7-6, giving Switzerland hope. But Svitolina, ever reliable, crushed Jil Teichmann (No. 96) 6-4, 6-2 to seal Ukraine’s spot in the Finals. The tie was decided in doubles, with the Ukrainian duo Kichenok/Zavatska defeating Bandecchi/Naef 6-4, 3-6, 10-5 to complete the job.

Both the Netherlands and Great Britain had already eliminated Germany from Group F, leaving a decisive showdown to determine who would advance. On the clay courts of Sportcampus Zuiderpark in The Hague, Netherlands, the uncertainty lingered until the very end.

The opening match featured Sonay Kartal (No. 60), standing in for Emma Raducanu as Britain’s No. 2, against Eva Vedder (No. 265). Despite being the favourite, Kartal needed over two hours and three sets to clinch the win: 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. Kartal’s serve was outstanding, landing 81% of first serves and winning 69% of those points, well ahead of Vedder’s 59% first-serve rate and 53% success on them.

Next up was Katie Boulter (No. 40), tasked with facing Suzan Lamens (No. 70). Although higher ranked, Boulter couldn’t assert her dominance. The clay favoured the home player, who found her top level and closed the match with five straight games, winning 6-4, 6-3. Lamens won 65% of her service points and 46% on return.

The tie came down to the decisive doubles match, with each country’s No. 1 singles player returning to the court. Boulter paired with Jodie Burrage (No. 175), while Lamens teamed up with experienced doubles specialist Demi Schuurs (No. 26). Despite the home crowd support, the Dutch duo couldn’t find their rhythm. They converted 4 of 8 break points, but the Brits were clinical, converting all 7 of their break opportunities.

Out of 16 total games, 11 were breaks in a match riddled with service errors. In the end, Boulter and Burrage secured Great Britain’s qualification to the BJK Cup Finals with a 6-2, 6-2 win.