BJK Cup final, Elisabetta Cocciaretto’s feat: beat Emma Navarro, Italy ahead

In the first singles match of the Billie Jean King Cup final between Italy and the United States on the concrete in Shenzhen, China, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, world number 91, accomplished the feat by beating Emma Navarro, number 18, with a double 6-4 in an hour and 27 minutes of play, putting the Italian women’s team ahead. Now it’s Jasmine Paolini’s turn, who will face Jessica Pegula in the second singles.

The first set is decided with the immediate break in the first game in favor of Cocciaretto, who then misses a ball to go even a 4-1 ball with double break. The only chance she concedes to her opponent is when she serves for the set at 5-4 but with three consecutive points she pockets the first partial.

Navarro also risks losing her serve in the first game of the second set but manages to save herself from 15-40, then goes ahead 4-2 when Cocciaretto gives up the serve for the first time in the sixth game. Elisabetta, however, immediately makes the counterbreak.

On 4-4 the Marche player places the decisive break, in the next game she misses a match point but on the second chance Elisabetta with a crazy point closed with a backhand on the baseline exults and makes Tathiana Garbin and her teammates cheer.