Spain has not been able to advance from the first round in the final phase of the Billie Jean King Cup, eliminated in the round of 16 by the Poland of the world number two, Iga Swiatek.
It was Paula Badosa’s turn to face the five-time Grand Slam champion after Sara Sorribes lost to Magda Linette in a very tough match that lasted almost four hours (7-6(8), 2-6 and 6-4). The Catalan showed her face despite all the doubts she has with her tennis, especially in a second set that ended up being won in the tie-break, but she ended up succumbing to the highest hierarchy of her rival (6-3, 6-7 (5) and 6-1, in 2h38).
Spain, host of an edition that, like next week’s Davis Cup, takes place in Malaga, falls first in the last round with Anabel Medina as captain.
The morning started in the worst way, with a cruel defeat for Sorribes. The match, very close, resolved its first challenge in a tie-break also decided by details. Spain had to row against the current from the beginning, but Sorribes, much more confident with her serve, reacted well and dominated the second set, in which she only had one break point against her, well resolved.
The Spaniard started the third and final round just as well, in which she once again broke her rival’s serve in the second game to go 3-0 in her favor. However, Linette reacted in a big way and took six of the next seven games to end up winning the match 6-4.
With 1-0 down, all the responsibility fell on Paula Badosa. It was a very difficult undertaking, because opposite was a Swiatek who, without having had her best season, has been able to win at Roland Garros and take the Olympic gold in Paris, in addition to winning in Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid and Rome.
Swiatek came, however, from a small disappointment after being eliminated in the group stage of the Masters Cup, where she was defending her crown. And Badosa clung to that to get excited about ringing the bell.
The Catalan had a hard time warming up and barely worried Swiatek in the first round, decided thanks to two consecutive breaks by the Pole after Badosa wasted the only one she had to tip the balance in her favor.
Once again, Spain had to come back. With the audience devoted to her, Badosa offered her best face to recover from a 3-0 deficit that seemed definitive, and ended up taking the outcome to sudden death, where she took advantage of the first set point she had in her favor.
Badosa had given herself a new opportunity, but Swiatek emerged victorious in an exchange in which breaks followed one another. The Pole took the necessary step forward so as not to jeopardize her victory and her team’s classification and left the Spanish team and Málaga saddened.
#Badosa #loses #Swiatek #Spain #falls #Billie #Jean #King #Cup
