Elina Svitolina and Anhelina Kalinina sent Ukraine into its first Billie Jean King Cup final Saturday, sweeping defending champion Italy 2–0 in Shenzhen to set up a title match against the Czech Republic.
Kalinina defeated Tyra Caterina Grant 6–3, 6–4 before Svitolina beat Jasmine Paolini 6–2, 6–2, settling the semifinal without a deciding doubles match. Sunday’s final will be played at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre.
The victory reversed last year’s semifinal, which Italy won 2–1, and ended the Italians’ attempt to reach a fourth consecutive final. Italy had won the previous two editions, including a 2–0 victory over the United States in last year’s championship tie.
Kalinina, ranked No. 48, opened against an 18-year-old opponent making her debut in the competition. The Ukrainian needed 86 minutes to beat the 150th-ranked Grant, giving Svitolina the opportunity to decide the tie in the second singles match.
Svitolina broke Paolini three times in the opening set and twice in the second, finishing in one hour and three minutes, according to Reuters. The world No. 7 led 4–0 in the second set before Paolini briefly interrupted her progress.
Paolini entered with 10 consecutive victories in the competition and had not lost a Billie Jean King Cup match since 2024. Svitolina’s win was her 20th in the event and followed a singles defeat during Ukraine’s quarterfinal against Belgium on Thursday.
Ukraine advanced despite the absence of world No. 10 Marta Kostyuk, who was sidelined by a wrist injury. Kalinina had already contributed singles and doubles victories against Belgium before delivering the opening point against Italy.
Svitolina said she had been determined to improve on last year’s loss to Paolini and described the final berth as a special moment for Ukraine. Her foundation has supported the national team financially and operationally for the past three years, AFP reported.
The Czech Republic secured its place by defeating Spain, with Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova winning their singles matches in straight sets. The Czechs are back in the final for the first time since 2018 and will be pursuing their 12th title.
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This page is an original Sporting Page summary. The reporting remains with Reuters: semifinal result and final matchup.
Read at Reuters: semifinal result and final matchup
