2024-11-15 17:28:00
MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Iga Swiatek beat Paula Bardo in three sets in the first round of the Billie Jean King Cup final on Friday Paula Badosa, the Polish team leads the Spanish team 2-0, and the Spanish team will no longer be able to come back.
World No. 2 Swiatek defeated No. 12 Badosa 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-1 to ensure Poland faced the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals.
Badosa fought back to win the second set tiebreaker. But Swiatek responded with a dominant third-set tiebreaker.
The match was postponed at the end of the third set after organizers said a “medical incident” apparently occurred among spectators in the stands at Malaga’s Palazzo dello Sport.
“He pushed me,” Swiatek admitted. “The decider was stressful, but I knew I could come back in the third set.”
He emphasized the importance of Magda Linette’s victory in the first duel.
“We all did it, Poland did it too,” the five-time Grand Slam champion warned after making her debut at the Beijing-Korea Championships.
Magda Linette gave the Polish team the advantage after nearly four hours of testing with Sara Sorribes, winning 7-6 (8), 2- 6, 6-4 win.
In the deciding set, Soribus fought back to equalize the score, and Linette fell behind 0-3. The Poles regrouped and ended the duel. Linette hit more game-winning shots, 55-12, but had 79 unforced errors compared to Soribus’ 26.
England and Germany also meet later in the first round.
On Thursday, Slovakia defeated the United States and Japan beat Romania.
Spain’s match against Poland was originally scheduled to take place on Wednesday but was postponed two days due to heavy rain in southern Spain that caused partial flooding in Malaga. Spanish authorities are on high alert after massive flash floods last month claimed more than 200 lives.
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This story was translated from English by AP editors with the help of generated artificial intelligence tools.
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What key strategies did Iga Swiatek employ to secure her victory over Paula Badosa in the Billie Jean King Cup final?
**Interview with Tennis Analyst, Maria Gonzalez, on Iga Swiatek’s Performance in the Billie Jean King Cup Final**
**Editor:** Good evening, Maria! Thank you for joining us today to discuss the recent match between Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa in the Billie Jean King Cup final. Swiatek’s victory put Poland ahead 2-0 against Spain. What are your thoughts on her performance?
**Maria Gonzalez:** Thank you for having me! Iga Swiatek demonstrated an incredible level of focus and determination in her match against Paula Badosa. Winning in three sets shows her resilience; she navigated through some challenging moments but ultimately prevailed.
**Editor:** Swiatek’s ranking as World No. 2 adds pressure to her performance. How do you think that affects her mindset during such crucial matches?
**Maria Gonzalez:** Absolutely, the pressure of being a top-ranked player can be immense. However, I believe Swiatek has matured significantly in handling expectations. She approaches each match strategically and seems to thrive in high-stakes situations, as we saw today.
**Editor:** On the other hand, what does this loss mean for Badosa and the Spanish team moving forward?
**Maria Gonzalez:** It’s certainly a tough loss for Badosa and the Spanish team. With this defeat, they are unable to come back in the series, which is a disappointment. However, it’s crucial for Badosa to focus on the positives and learn from this experience. The future of Spanish tennis is bright, and this could be a valuable lesson for her.
**Editor:** As the Billie Jean King Cup progresses, what can we expect from Swiatek and the Polish team?
**Maria Gonzalez:** I think we can expect to see more strong performances from Swiatek. She is incredibly motivated and has the support of her team behind her. If she continues at this level, Poland could go very far in the tournament.
**Editor:** Thank you, Maria, for your insights! It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the Cup unfolds.
**Maria Gonzalez:** My pleasure! Looking forward to it.