Italy and Ukraine survive BJK Cup scares to set up semi-final showdown
WTAThursday, 24 September 2026 at 18:58
The Billie Jean King Cup completed its quarter-final ties with the two-time defending champions Italy — led by Jasmine Paolini — overcoming a difficult China side in the decisive doubles match, with Paolini once again emerging as the heroine for the European team.
Ukraine also survived a scare after a surprise defeat for Elina Svitolina complicated their chances, forcing them to decide the tie against Belgium in doubles. The Ukrainians held their nerve in the decisive match to secure their place in the semi-finals.
Italy and Ukraine will now face each other for a place in the final, joining the already-qualified Spain and Czech Republic, who are on the other side of the draw and will battle for the second final spot.
Ukraine 2-1 Belgium
Anhelina Kalinina 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-1 Jana Otzipka
World No. 48 Anhelina Kalinina had more problems than expected before securing the victory against 21-year-old Belgian Jana Otzipka, ranked No. 474. Both players made an inconsistent start, exchanging breaks without either managing to establish a clear advantage.
Three breaks apiece took the opening set to a tie-break, where the Belgian took advantage of an early lead and converted her third set point to secure the first set.
It was a major surprise, but Kalinina did not let the setback affect her. She took control in the following sets, giving up only a handful of points on serve while constantly creating break opportunities on Otzipka's service games.
Three breaks in the second set and another two in the third eventually gave Kalinina a straightforward victory and put Ukraine ahead in the tie.
Anhelina Kalinina at 2023 Rome Open
Elina Svitolina 7-6(5), 4-6, 4-6 Greet Minnen
Everything appeared to be in place for Svitolina to complete a straightforward victory for Ukraine. The world No. 7 was facing an out-of-form Minnen, ranked No. 217, but the Belgian produced one of her best performances of the past year.
Minnen made a strong start, breaking early and moving into a 3-0 lead. Svitolina responded by levelling the match at 3-3, in a contest that featured constant break opportunities for both players.
Svitolina served for the set at 5-4, but Minnen broke back to stay in the match and everything was decided in a tie-break. Svitolina showed her experience and won three points in a row to secure a complicated opening set.
However, the second set went differently. Minnen secured an early break and this time held on to her serve. Svitolina failed to take any of the three break opportunities she created in the set, sending the match into a deciding third set.
The final set remained tight, with both players looking comfortable on serve as they reached 4-4 without a break. That was when Svitolina began to struggle with her service game and eventually surrendered the break after saving four break points. Minnen then served for the match and did not disappoint, sending the tie to the decisive doubles rubber.
Anhelina Kalinina / Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-3, 6-3 Magali Kempen / Lara Salden
The Ukrainians had an interesting doubles combination led by Kichenok, a former world No. 3 doubles player and 2024 US Open champion alongside Jelena Ostapenko. This time partnering with Kalinina — who has only briefly broken into the top 100 in doubles — she helped produce a straightforward victory.
The Ukrainian pair won 65% of their service points compared to 52% for their opponents and converted four breaks, while the Belgians managed just one.
It was a controlled performance from Ukraine, who did not face any major scares in the deciding doubles match. Their greater experience ultimately made the difference as they secured the victory and their place in the semi-finals.
In the absence of Marta Kostyuk, Ukraine showed that they do not depend exclusively on Svitolina's leadership. With a particularly strong performance from Kalinina, the Ukrainians secured their place in the semi-finals for the second consecutive year, matching their best performance in the tournament for the second year in a row. They will now face Italy for a place in their first final.
Italy 2-1 China
Elisabetta Cocciaretto 0-6, 2-6 Zhang Shuai
The two-time defending champions Italy are among the main favourites, but they did not have an easy time after starting the tie at a disadvantage with a surprise defeat — particularly because of the emphatic scoreline.
Cocciaretto, ranked No. 67, started erratically on serve, landing only 53% of her first serves and winning just 30% of those points, while taking only 33% of points behind her second serve. Zhang did her job and remained consistent, converting three of four break opportunities and holding her service games comfortably to close out the bagel, 6-0, in 28 minutes.
The second set began with Cocciaretto holding serve for the first time in the match, but it proved to be only a brief improvement. Zhang quickly secured a break and took the lead, managing her advantage until another break allowed her to close out the victory.
Cocciaretto had some break opportunities but could not take advantage of them, as she never managed to become fully competitive against the experienced Chinese veteran.
Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 7-6(4) Zheng Qinwen
The responsibility then fell on Paolini, the No. 20 player in the world and the leader of Italy's last two titles. However, she had to face a rejuvenated Zheng Qinwen, ranked No. 52, who had recently reached the US Open quarter-finals and has been climbing the rankings again.
The Italian made a strong start, breaking early and moving into a 3-0 lead. Zheng tried to fight her way back and found a way to break back, but she could not maintain the advantage and eventually surrendered the opening set.
The second set was more balanced when it came to holding serve. Both players had opportunities but neither managed to break until 5-5, when Paolini created her chance and earned the opportunity to serve for the victory.
Zheng broke back to send the match into a tie-break. The Paris 2024 singles gold medallist took an early 3-0 lead, but she showed some weaknesses on serve, and Paolini responded by winning seven of the next eight points before closing out the victory.
Sara Errani / Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 5-7 Guo Hanyu / Jiang Xinyu
With everything resting on the doubles match, the Italians were clear favourites. The Errani-Paolini partnership is an Olympic doubles gold medal-winning team and a pair of multiple Grand Slam champions, and they have been key whenever the Italian team has needed them.
After comfortably taking the first set 6-3, the Italians were a break up in the second. They moved ahead 4-2 and looked almost unbeatable on serve, until the Chinese pair finally got the break and took control of the closing stages of the set, winning five of the next six games. With the second set going to China, the match was pushed into a decisive third set.
That was when the Errani-Paolini partnership showed its cohesion and once again proved to be Italy's guarantee in the Billie Jean King Cup. They broke early and held on to their advantage for the rest of the set to close out the victory, securing their place in the semi-finals, where they will face Ukraine.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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