Svitolina powers Ukraine into Billie Jean King Cup semifinal
SHENZHEN,China: Elina Svitolina produced a gritty comeback to send Ukraine into the semifinals of the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time, defeating Spain’s Paula Badosa 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 in Shenzhen on Wednesday.
Marta Kostyuk had given Ukraine the early lead by outclassing Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 7-6(3), 6-2 in the opening singles of the quarter-final tie against the five-time champions.
Badosa kept Spain’s hopes alive after edging a tense first set, breaking Svitolina at 5-5 before closing it out. But the world number 13 hit back strongly, dominating the second set with controlled aggression.
In the decider, Svitolina surged ahead 4-1 only for Badosa to mount a spirited fightback, pushing her opponent to the brink with heavy hitting and even earning a break point for a 6-5 lead. However, Svitolina’s resilience proved decisive as she broke in the next game to seal victory and secure Ukraine’s historic semifinal berth.
It marks a landmark achievement for Ukrainian tennis, with Svitolina’s experience and Kostyuk’s breakthrough combining to topple one of the competition’s most successful nations.
