Ukraine reaches first-ever Billie Jean King Cup final after stunning defending champions Italy

The Billie Jean King Cup Finals — the women's team tennis world championship — is nearing its conclusion in the Chinese city of Shenzhen. In the second semifinal, Ukraine defeated defending champions Italy 2-0. Italy had won last year's Finals and collected a prize of 2,400,000 US dollars for the title.

In the opening match, Ukraine's sixth-ranked player Anhelina Kalinina (world No. 48) beat Italy's Tyra Grant (No. 150), an 18-year-old, in straight sets 6:3, 6:4. In the second match, Ukraine's team leader Elina Svitolina (No. 7) delivered a commanding 6:2, 6:2 win over Italy's top player Jasmine Paolini (No. 20). Because both Ukrainian players won their singles matches, the doubles rubber, which would have pitted Kalinina/Kichenok against Paolini/Errani, was not needed.

Ukraine had originally planned to field its second-ranked player, Marta Kostyuk (No. 10), who was seen as a genuine contender for the title, but she withdrew at the last moment due to injury.

A historic first

With this win, Ukraine has reached the Billie Jean King Cup final for the first time in its history. In the other semifinal on hard courts, the Czech Republic faced Spain, with the Czechs also leading 2-0 after two matches.

The tournament is named after Billie Jean King, a former tennis player now nearing her 83rd birthday, who won 28 Grand Slam titles between 1961 and 1980, including 12 in singles.