United States Reaches BJK cup Semifinals after Dramatic Doubles Victory Over Kazakhstan
SEVILLE, SPAIN - The United States advanced to the billie Jean King Cup semifinals on thursday, overcoming a resilient Kazakhstan team 2-1 in a quarterfinal decided by a thrilling doubles match. The Americans,seeking their first title since 2017,secured their place in the final four after a hard-fought battle at the La Cartuja Tennis Club.
The tie began with a captivating performance from Emma Navarro, who battled back from a set down and saved two match points to defeat Yulia putintseva 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (6) in 2 hours and 31 minutes. The world No. 18 dropped an early break but ultimately prevailed, winning four consecutive points in the tiebreak to claim the opening rubber.
Kazakhstan responded emphatically as former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina leveled the tie with a dominant 6-4, 6-1 victory over Jessica Pegula. Rybakina raced to an early lead in both sets, showcasing her power and precision to overcome the U.S. Open semi-finalist in just over an hour.
The decisive doubles rubber saw pegula partner with world No. 1 doubles player Taylor Townsend against Rybakina and Putintseva. The American duo started strongly, taking the first set 6-2. Kazakhstan fought back in the second, leading 4-1 before Pegula and Townsend mounted a comeback, saving two set points to force a tiebreak. The Americans then dominated the tiebreak, securing a 6-2, 7-6 (1) win and the semifinal berth.
The United States will now face the winner of the Great Britain-Japan quarterfinal, scheduled for later Thursday. Both nations are vying for their first BJK Cup title and are competing without their top-ranked players, Emma Raducanu (Britain) and Naomi Osaka (Japan). Katie boulter and Sonay Kartal lead Britain, while Moyuka Uchijima and Ena Shibahara front the Japanese team.
In other quarterfinal action, Italy and Ukraine advanced to Friday’s semifinals with 2-0 wins over China and Spain, respectively. Five-time champion Italy and Ukraine are both seeking to add to their trophy collections.
