MATCH REPORT | Billie Jean King Cup Finals: Marketa VONDROUSOVA leads Team Czechia into semi-finals as USA eliminated

Marketa Vondrousova led Team Czechia into the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals after they won their tie against Team USA, who are now eliminated from the tournament.

The Czech team had previously defeated last year's reigning champions Switzerland prior to their clash with one of the tournament's other top teams, the USA. First up, Katerina Siniakova took on American player Danielle Collins and Team Czechia looked to be in trouble.

Collins secured the win against Siniakova 6-3, 6-2 to give Team USA a 1-0 lead. The 29-year-old played aggressively throughout while Siniakova was a little too hesitant, ultimately costing her the match. Nevertheless, there was still time for Team Czechia to come back and they knew that they had a strong chance of doing so with reigning Wimbledon champion Vondrousova taking on Sofia Kenin in the next round.

The World No. 7, who made her WTA Finals debut in Cancun just last week, soared ahead from the very beginning, breaking the 2020 Australian Open champion in her first service game for a 3-0 lead. Although Kenin was able to hold once, she could not find a way back into the set and Vondrousova swiftly secured the double break before successfully serving for the set.

In the second set, the Czech player proceeded to repeat the opener with great success by breaking Kenin immediately and finding herself at 3-0 once again. Her opponent's next service game then went to a deuce, at which point Vondrousova achieved the double break and was able to run away with the victory, 6-1, 6-1 in an hour and ten minutes.

This meant that the outcome of this winner-takes-all tie now rested entirely on doubles, with Barbora Krejcikova and Siniakova teaming up for Czechia against America's Collins and Taylor Townsend. The result was decisive, with the Czech duo winning the clash in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5 to book their country's place in the semi-final.

The Czech team, which also includes Marie Bouzkova and Linda Noskova, will face Canada next after the latter team qualified for the semi-finals for the first time since 1988. Their players, headlined by Leylah Fernandez, defeated the home team Spain before besting Poland to advance in the tournament.