Italy, the reigning champions, secured their place in another Billie Jean King Cup final thanks to Jasmine Paolini, who triumphed in a demanding singles match against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, and subsequently secured the overall victory in the doubles match alongside Sara Errani.
Paolini, currently ranked eighth globally, displayed resilience by overcoming a set deficit to win a captivating contest against Svitolina with a score of 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, thereby setting the stage for the decisive doubles match.
The formidable duo of Paolini and Errani, who are also the reigning French Open and Olympic champions, then defeated Marta Kostyuk and Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-2, 6-3, securing a 2-1 victory for Italy in the overall competition held in Shenzhen.
Ukraine, participating in the semi-finals for the first time in their history, initially gained a point when Kostyuk prevailed over Elisabetta Cocciaretto with a score of 6-2, 6-3 in the opening match of the contest.
In the final match scheduled for Sunday, Italy will face either Great Britain or the United States, who are set to compete against each other in their semi-final match on Saturday.
Great Britain is in pursuit of their first-ever title, while the United States is aiming to secure a record-breaking 19th title in the competition.
