Billie Jean King Cup: Italy Stuns with Jasmine Paolini

Italy evened the score against China in the final quarterfinal match of the Billie Jean King Cup, the premier tennis tournament for women’s national teams. After Elisabetta Cocciaretto’s crushing defeat at the hands of Zhang Shuai (6-0, 6-2), the Italian team leveled the series at 1-1 thanks to Jasmine Paolini, who defeated Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 7-6(4) on the hard courts in Shenzhen.

The outcome of the tie will therefore be decided in the doubles match, where Paolini herself (barring any last-minute changes) will team up with Sara Errani to face Guo Hanyu and Zhang Shuai. The decisive match will determine who faces Ukraine in the semifinals; Ukraine, meanwhile, defeated Belgium 2-1.

The other semifinal will feature Spain and the Czech Republic: Spain defeated Kazakhstan 2-1, while the Czech Republic beat Great Britain after just the two singles matches, without needing to play the decisive doubles match.